The UFC for sale rumours have never been stronger.
About a month ago, reports began surfacing of the world’s largest MMA promotion was on the verge of being sold to a Chinese venture capital firm. On Wednesday, ESPN released a new report claiming that the UFC are now in advanced talks to sell the business.
At least four bidders are thought to have submitted bids for the company, including WME/IMG, China Media Capital, The Blackstone Group and Dalian Wanda Group. It is believed that the winning bid is expected to be between $3.5 billion and $4 billion.
I was told last week that China's Wanda Group was the current front-runner in these talks and the sale could be announced as soon as July.
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) May 11, 2016
The front runner to buy the UFC is said to be Chinese-based conglomerate Dalian Wanda Group, who’s chairman, Wang Jianlin has a net worth of $35 billion, according to Forbes Magazine, making him the richest man in China.
Last year, the company splashed out on a 20 percent stake in soccer superpower Atletico Madrid for a reported $48 million and more recently, they agreed to sign on as a FIFA partner through 2030 amid the recent scandals to rock football’s governing world body.
China Media Capital, who were originally pegged as leading the race to buy the UFC have also launched a bid. They have also been expanding into the sports industry and last year, along with another Chinese investment group, Citic Capital, bought a 13 percent stake of British soccer team Manchester City for a reported $400 million.
https://twitter.com/JESnowden/status/710514704851058688?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
The Zuffa big wigs have been denying the strong claims made in the report with UFC President Dana White telling the Las Vegas Review-Journal that “the UFC is not for sale.”
Dave Sholler, vice president of public relations and athlete marketing for the UFC, was a little more vague with his response to the latest rumours saying, “As a private company, we don’t discuss speculation or rumours related to our business.”
