Following this weekend's UFC 200, it has now been confirmed that the league itself has been sold for $4 billion. The New York Times reports that talent agency WME-IMG has acquired the league with backing from private equity companies such as Silver Lake, Kohlberg Kravis Roberts, and billionaire Michael Dell's private investment firm.
An official announcement is anticipated as soon as later today, July 11, but UFC president Dana White already confirmed the sale to ESPN. According to the sports media giant, $4 billion represents the biggest transaction for an organization in sports history.
The UFC's main owners, casino investor brothers Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta, bought the league in 2000 for only $2 million. They run the UFC under a company called Zuffa (which means "fight" in Italian) and are expected to stay on as minority investors after the deal goes through.
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