UFC executive Joe Carr leaving promotion to join World Surf League

Joe Carr, the UFC’s senior vice president and head of international and content, is leaving the company to join the World Surf League.

It was announced today that Carr has been tabbed as WSL’s chief strategy officer and head of international, and “will lead the strategy and execution of the league’s international business” in his new role, according to a WSL-issued press release.

“The decision to leave colleagues and the (UFC) after more than 5 years was one of the toughest of my life,” Carr said in a statement. “As much as I enjoyed the sport and the events, it was really the personal relationship with my teams around the world that I valued the most.

“I was fortunate enough to receive an incredible offer to join another fast-growing sports organization in the WSL and move back to L.A. – I see a ton of parallels between both companies and am leaving for the same set of challenges that attracted me to UFC.”

Carr’s first position with the UFC was as a senior director of investment and strategy. In his latest capacity, Carr was integral in continuing to expand the UFC globally, which included the promotion hosting four events in four weeks on four continents earlier this year, as well scheduling the UFC’s first event in mainland China in November. He also helped lead the sale of the UFC for an unprecedented $4 billion to WME-IMG.

“I want to thank Lorenzo (Fertitta), Dana (White) and Lawrence (Epstein) for taking a chance on me years ago, and I will be forever grateful for what they did for this organization. I also need to thank Ari (Emanuel) and the WME-IMG ownership group for sticking with me through the acquisition, and I am excited for the UFC’s bright future in the years to come. With the biggest fight in history on the horizon, the company’s first event in mainland China, and countless opportunities globally, the business has great momentum heading into 2018.”

For more on the UFC’s upcoming schedule, visit the UFC Rumors section of the site.