– The UFC has announced that Flash Entertainment, a subsidiary of Abu Dhabi’s government, has bought a 10% stake in Zuffa, the parent company of the UFC. The deal comes before the planned UFC 112 event, scheduled for Abu Dhabi. Here are some comments from Dana White on the deal…
On The Deal: “Flash is an independent live events and entertainment organization based in the United Arab Emirates,” UFC president Dana White stated in an official release. “Its sole shareholder is the government of Abu Dhabi. We got to know these guys discussing an event in Abu Dhabi. This led to the investment conversation. After conducting in-depth due diligence, they saw the tremendous global potential of the UFC brand. The guys who run this company are young, hip, aggressive visionaries. They are big thinkers.”
Is The UFC In Financial Trouble?: “UFC has no financial issues, and business has never been better,” White stated. “We did this deal because of the huge opportunities it provides for UFC’s global growth.”
Does Dana Have A Problem With Bringing In A New Partner?: “I didn’t feel that way at all,” White stated. “I don’t look at this as my baby and nobody else can touch it. The way I look at this thing is that the UFC is a brand, like Microsoft, McDonald’s or any of these other ones. I think that I’m gonna have a certain amount of time here and then my time will be done and I will have done my part, and then somebody else will carry it on after me. I don’t look at this like I’m gonna be here forever. A lot of people say, ‘Without Dana the UFC couldn’t do this or couldn’t do that.’ I think the UFC is bigger than that and bigger than one person, including me.”
