UFC president Dana White denies ESPN report of organization’s sale
UFC president Dana White refutes ESPN's report that the organization is for sale. (Heidi Fang/Las Vegas Review-Journal Follow @heidifang)
May 10, 2016 - 5:33 pm

UFC President Dana White speaks at a news conference after the UFC 177 mixed martial arts event in Sacramento, Calif., Saturday, Aug. 30, 2014. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

Lorenzo Fertitta, CEO of Ultimate Fighting Championship (Erik Verduzco/Las Vegas Review-Journal file)

UFC President Dana White speaks during a press conference ahead of UFC 200 at the MGM Grand hotel-casino in Las Vegas on Friday, April 22, 2016. (Chase Stevens/Las Vegas Review-Journal) Follow @csstevensphoto

UFC owners, from left, Frank Fertitta III, Dana White and Lorenzo Fertitta attend UFC 71, Saturday May 26th, 2007 at The MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Eric Jamison)
Ultimate Fighting Championship President Dana White vehemently denied an ESPN report that the Las Vegas-based organization is in “advanced” talks to sell the world’s largest mixed martial arts organization.
“The UFC is not for sale,” White told the Review-Journal on Tuesday evening. “The ESPN story is overblown. Darren Rovell is not a fan of facts. His facts could not be further off.”
Rumors of a potential sale of the UFC have come and gone for several years. Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta, along with White, operating as Zuffa LLC, purchased the UFC for a reported $2 million in 2001.
Rovell’s report indicates at least four bids have been submitted and a potential sale could be made at a valuation from $3.5 billion to $4 billion.
WME/IMG, China Media Capital, The Blackstone Group and Dalian Wanda Group were cited as potential bidders. Zuffa is being represented by Goldman Sachs, according to Rovell’s report.
UFC vice president of public relations Dave Sholler told the Review-Journal earlier Tuesday the organization would not address the report.
“As a private company, we don’t discuss speculation or rumors related to our business,” Sholler said.
The UFC very closely guards financial details. The Fertittas are believed to each own just over 40 percent of the company, with White around 9 percent and Flash Entertainment, a subsidiary of the Abu Dhabi government, owning the remaining 10 percent.
Contact reporter Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com or 702-224-5509. Follow him on Twitter: @adamhilllvrj