UFC: Mixed martial arts company sold for reported fee of $4bn

The acquisition by William Morris Endeavor-International Management Group, the talent agency, was announced on Monday

White will stay on as the UFC's president (Getty)

The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) has been sold to talent agency William Morris Endeavor-International Management Group (WME-IMG).

The terms of the deal were not officially disclosed in Monday's announcement of their acquisition, though Las Vegas Now reported the sale price as $4billion (£3.1bn).

Along with WME-IMG, there are a further group of investors including Silver Lake Partners, KKR and MSD Capital/MSD Partners.

WME-IMG are a world leading talent agencies, with clients that include the former UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey.

The company’s chief executives Ari Emanuel and Patrick Whitesell said in a combined statement: “We’ve been fortunate over the years to represent UFC and a number of its remarkable athletes.

“It’s been exciting to watch the organisation’s incredible growth over the last decade under the leadership of the Fertitta brothers, Dana White and their dedicated team.

"We’re now committed to pursuing new opportunities for UFC and its talented athletes to ensure the sport’s continued growth and success on a global scale.”

It has also been confirmed that the UFC's chief executive Lorenzo Fertitta will step down as chairman following a transitional period, after which he and his brother, Frank Fertitta, will remain on as minority owners.

White, who currently owns roughly 9 per cent of the company, will stay on as the promotion’s president while continuing to hold an ownership stake.

“We’re confident that the new ownership team of WME-IMG, with whom we’ve built a strong relationship over the last several years, is committed to accelerating UFC’s global growth,” Lorenzo Fertitta said.

“Most importantly, our new owners share the same vision and passion for this organisation and its athletes.”

White said that his aim to build the UFC brand and the sport worldwide had not changed,

“Our goal has always been to put on the biggest and the best fights for our fans, and to make this the biggest sport in the world.

“I’m looking forward to working with WME-IMG to continue to take this sport to the next level," he added.

The UFC fighters were notified about the acquisition via e-mail, shortly after the official announcement was released.

UFC lightweight star Joe Lauzon tweeted out a picture of the e-mail that had been sent to them, which claimed fighters would remain the focal point of the company and that the UFC will still strive to provide them with world-class experiences and opportunities.