Darren Rovell of ESPN is reporting that UFC owners, Lorenzo and Frank Fertitta, are in negotiations to sell the promotion for nearly $4 billion.
Via ESPN
The owners of the UFC are in advanced talks to sell the business, sources told ESPN.com.
At least four bidders — including WME/IMG, China Media Capital, The Blackstone Group and Dalian Wanda Group — are believed to have submitted bids for the organization. The winning bid, should things proceed, is expected to be for a valuation of in between $3.5 billion and $4 billion, multiple sources with knowledge of the negotiations told ESPN.com.
The leader in the bid to buy the biggest mixed martial arts business in the world is said to be Chinese-based conglomerate Dalian Wanda Group, sources said. Its chairman Wang Jianlin is the richest man in China, worth nearly $35 billion, according to Forbes Magazine.
The Fertittas originally bought the UFC for $2 million back in 2001. Not bad for a return on investment.