The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is a leading American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings, a majority-owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. As of 2023, the UFC is the largest MMA promotion worldwide, hosting events across 11 weight divisions—eight for men and three for women—while adhering to the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts. Since its inception, the UFC has held over 700 events as of 2024. Dana White has served as its president since 2001 and CEO since 2023, overseeing its transformation into a global, multi-billion-dollar enterprise
Company Type: Subsidiary
Industry: Mixed Martial Arts, Streaming Media
Founded: November 12, 1993 (31 years ago)
Founders: Art Davie, Bob Meyrowitz, Campbell McLaren, David Isaacs, John Milius, Rorion Gracie
Headquarters: Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Area Served: Worldwide
Key People:
Ari Emanuel (CEO, TKO)
Dana White (President & CEO)
Products:
Home Video
Live Events
Merchandise
Publishing
Streaming Network Service TV
Services and Key Financials
Licensing Revenue: Increased by US$1.3 billion in 2023
Operating Income: Rose by US$142.9 million in 2023
Net Income: Gained US$387 million in 2022
Total Assets: Grown by US$1.1 billion in 2022
Total Equity: Increased by US$7 billion in 2022
Number of Employees: Approximately 400 (as of 2016)
Parent Company: TKO Group Holdings
Divisions:
UFC Apex
UFC Fight Pass
UFC Performance Institute
The UFC was founded by businessman Art Davie and Brazilian martial artist Rorion Gracie. The inaugural event took place in 1993 at the McNichols Sports Arena in Denver, Colorado. The goal of the early UFC competitions was to determine the most effective martial art through contests with minimal rules and no weight classes, where fighters from various disciplines faced off. Over time, more structured rules were introduced, and fighters began incorporating techniques from multiple disciplines, leading to the development of the modern mixed martial arts (MMA) style we recognize today.
The UFC was initially owned by the Semaphore Entertainment Group (SEG) until it had financial issues and it was sold to the brothers Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta in 2001, who formed the company Zuffa to operate the UFC, and placed Dana White as the president of the company.[11][14] In 2016, UFC's parent company, Zuffa, was sold to a group led by Endeavor, then known as William Morris Endeavor (WME–IMG), including Silver Lake Partners, Kohlberg Kravis Roberts and MSD Capital[15] for US$4.025 billion.[16] In 2021, Endeavor bought out Zuffa's other owners at a valuation of $1.7 billion.[8] The organization had 578 fighters contracted as of January 2023.[
With a TV deal and expansion into markets such as Australia, Asia, Europe, and new regions within the United States, the UFC has gained increased mainstream media coverage. In 2015, it generated US$609 million, and its subsequent domestic media rights agreement with ESPN was valued at $1.5 billion over five years.
In April 2023, Endeavor Group Holdings announced that the UFC would merge with WWE, creating TKO Group Holdings, a new publicly traded company majority-owned by Endeavor. Vince McMahon was named executive chairman of the new entity, with Dana White continuing as UFC president. The merger was completed on September 12, 2023.
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