On Tuesday night, ESPN.com’s Darren Rovell released a report claiming that Zuffa LLC is currently in ‘advanced talks’ to sell the business they have been handling since the early 2000’s.
“At least four bidders are believed to have submitted bids for the organization, including WME/IMG, China Media Capital, The Blackstone Group and Dalian Wanda Group. The winning bid, should things proceed, is expected to be for a valuation between $3.5 billion and $4 billion, multiple sources with knowledge of the negotiations told ESPN.com.”
According to UFC president Dana White, those statements aren’t accurate. The brash talking executive shut down the said report in an interview with the Las Vegas Review-Journal, where he also ripped on both Rovell and ESPN.
“The UFC is not for sale. The ESPN story is overblown. Darren Rovell is not a fan of facts. His facts could not be further off.”
White, along with casino moguls Lorenzo and Frank Fertitta purchased the UFC in 2001 from Semaphore Entertainment Group, for a reported amount of $2 million.