Lorenzo Fertitta on Rumored UFC Sale: ‘There’s Nothing to Report’

Last month rumors circulated that the UFC had been sold to a group including talent agency William Morris Endeavor-IMG, a Chinese entity, and the Robert Kraft family for $4.2 billion. UFC president Dana White denied the reports, and owner Lorenzo Fertitta has been largely silent about the rumors until this week.

Fertitta, speaking with the LA Times, said that there’s nothing to report on a sale.

“Look, if we bring on an investor or something happens, we’ll let everyone know,” Fertitta said.

“I’ve never been more bullish on the business. I still have massive love for the sport. I never said I was walking away,” he added. “What’s happening — this is standard. Any company, this size and magnitude, you don’t talk about things you’re working on in strategical terms. So there’s nothing to report.”

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White gave a more direct answer when asked about the rumored sale. “We own the UFC. We did not sell the UFC. We own it.”

When the rumors were first reported, White appeared on the first episode of UFC Unfiltered Podcast and said the rumors of a sale have been “one of the most disruptive things ever in the history of the company.”

Fertitta hasn’t been distracted by the frenzy the rumors caused.  It’s just business as usual for the UFC executive.

“There’s a lot of misinformation out there, things that aren’t correct. You’ve got to just roll with the punches. Stop getting on Twitter, stop reading social media. Get the distractions away, come in to work every day and work with the team and execute the plan.”

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