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Would be interesting to see what some new blood might do or it they would just keep the status quo.

 

Yeah, I wonder if this will mean the demise of Dana White.

 

This was surprising news ... but new blood would be good. Not a huge Dana White fan. He makes it hard for me to get into MMA too much.

 

Yeah that's the big question.

If the Chinese investment company buys it, chances are good they keep the same people in place running things. It's not like they have people who know how to run an MMA organization.

So it could be just more status quo with new money backers.

 

Yeah, I didn't really see any strategic buyers among the group. I guess WME/IMG could be considered the closest.

 

Would there be corruption if mma were handled like boxing with different sanctioning bodies as opposed to a central company? Like maywheather gets to basically choose who he fights and when.

 

I'm sure there would be. The different sanctioning bodies in boxing is what causes all the problems for that sport

 

Yeah, I don't know. I think the factor that the governing bodies are so fractured gives the fighters a lot more power. Right now, anyone who wants to make it big-time in MMA is pretty beholden to the UFC, and UFC takes way more of the profits. Boxers make way more money because of the decentralized bargaining power of the boxing sanctioning entities. They get a massive share of PPV revenue compared to UFC fighters.

Not to say either wouldn't be corrupt...

 

From what I understand the Fertitta brothers each own 40% of the UFC (80% total) Dana White is a 10% owner and high school buddy of the Fertitta Brothers, and the final 10% is owned by a Dubai investment group. From what I've heard, the Fertita's are not looking to sell out, but looking at investors to expand the brand, which is why the Chinese investment groups make sense. One of the other's mentioned is "the blackstone group" which owns online poker site Pokerstars. The fertitta's are already billionaires and even richer after this past weeks ipo of Red Rock investments.

There is another rumor swirling around that the Fertitta's are looking at possibly buying part or all of the Raiders NFL Team if the NFL gives them the green light to move to Vegas. It is no secret they are crazy about football, and one of their sons is at USC or UCLA playing football.

Either way, I don't think Dana is going anywhere based on his minority ownership position and long time (since childhood) friendship with the Fertitta's, and the fact that he has helped grow this thing from a $2 million dollar investment to 3-4billion value.

 

none of that would matter if the Fertittas sold the entire thing to the Chinese.