The Bottom Line: Concerns Pile Up for New UFC Owners

Editor’s note: The views and opinions expressed below are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Sherdog.com, its affiliates and sponsors or its parent company, Evolve Media.* * * When Zuffa purchased the Ultimate Fighting Championship in 2001, it faced a host of serious obstacles in taking the company to a higher level. The UFC lacked pay-per-view clearances to show its big events, and a cable television platform seemed almost like a pipe dream. The company needed to create stars but simultaneously needed to avoid spending too much money on talent. Pride Fighting Championships in Japan was on the ascent and controlled more of the sport’s best fighters and most marketable stars.Over the next six years, Zuffa addressed these concerns one by one, building the most powerful organization MMA had ever seen. The UFC then largely rode that train for as long as it could. All the groundwork had been laid. If running the UFC from 2001 to 2007 was full of hazards and pitfalls, running the UFC from 2008 to 2016 was relative smooth sailing. Zuffa cashed out, selling to WME-IMG; and given Zuffa’s history, it feels kind of appropriate that the new UFC ownership group faces the most significant series of challenges the company has faced in many years. Like Zuffa a decade and a half ago, WME-IMG will have to demonstrate its mettle and savvy in the early going as it takes over as stewards of MMA’s top promotion. The problems that WME-IMG faces are largely monetary or stem from monetary concerns. The astronomical price tag combined with the heavy reliance on debt means the pressure is on to make as much money as possible every step of the way. While Zuffa often took the long view and invested in ways that were likely to benefit the growth of the sport over the long haul, WME-IMG will need to make more in the short term. That will create the temptation to go the K-1 …

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