Report: Zuffa looking to sell small percentage of UFC, expand in China
The UFC is looking to grow its global brand and may need to sell part of its ownership to do so.
By
Brandon Wise
•
1 min read
The UFC is continuing to grow in the global marketplace. The three heads of the company -- Lorenzo and Frank Fertitta and Dana White -- have spearheaded the exponential growth since 2001 after buying the company for a reported $2 million. Now, they are reportedly looking to add another piece of ownership to the table.
The UFC is looking to sell a small percentage of the business to aid global expansion, specifically in China, according to Jeremy Botter of FloCombat. The ownership stake would be roughly 11-15 percent and allow Lorenzo Fertitta to take a reduced role.
White, appearing on the Dan Patrick Show on Wednesday, repeated his sentiment from Tuesday night after the initial report of a sale, but did add a bit of a caveat.
"The UFC is not for sale, but we are working on a deal. There are confidentiality deals involved," White said. "We're working on expanding. We're working on growing the company and moving into other territories like China and Japan (and) Korea. So yeah, we're always working on deals."
The Fertittas, who also own a set of casinos in Las Vegas, announced Tuesday the purchase of The Palms Casino for $312 million. White also said the two brothers have no interest in buying the Oakland Raiders and moving them to Vegas.
The expansion to China makes the most sense from a business standpoint. It is one of the few untapped markets for a company that wants to truly be global. Zuffa originally started its first Mixed Martial Arts promotions in Japan with Pride FC in 1997. The UFC has only been to China a handful of times, including filming "The Ultimate Fighter: China" reality show there in 2013.
