KAPOW!

UFC Sold for $4 Billion

Mixed martial arts empire is biggest sale in sports history.

The Ultimate Fighting Championship mixed martial arts league has been sold to talent agency WME-IMG for a whopping $4 billion—the largest sale in sports history. News of the deal comes after weeks of speculation, and a statement by UFC President Dana White reassuring that UFC wasn’t for sale. On Sunday, however, several sources involved in the process revealed the paperwork had already been signed and the deal was final, according to The New York Times. The 23-year-old empire will now be owned by Ari Emanuel’s WME-IMG, with Silver Lake, Kohlberg Kravis Roberts, and billionaire Michael S. Dell’s investment firm also acting as investors. Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta, the primary owners of UFC, will remain as minority investors.