“Was Gonna Buy It and Shut It Down”: Years Before Merger, Failed Billion Dollars Worth UFC Acquisition by Vince McMahon Comes to Light in Stunning Disclosure by UFC Legend

UFC Middleweight legend Chael Sonnen recently discussed the McMahon family’s involvement in the early days of the UFC. The clip revealed a lot about what happened before FOX purchased the rights to broadcast the UFC. And how Vince McMahon felt about the UFC as a product.

In a recent episode of his ‘Bad Guy Inc.’ Youtube Show, Sonnen revealed an intriguing conversation about the UFC between Vince McMahon and his son Shane, shedding light on the discussion that took place before the eventual merger earlier this year. The perspective that Sonnen shared is very intriguing.

Chael Sonnen tells story of how Vince McMahon didn’t think the UFC could create stars

According to Sonnen, Vince McMahon had the chance to buy the UFC just before the Fox deal took place on August 18th, 2011.

Sonnen shared that the UFC was potentially up for sale, and Vince McMahon was one of the interested buyers, offering a staggering 1 billion dollars. Ultimately, the FOX deal played a significant role in the rights-buy agreement with the UFC.  Taking over the broadcast rights from Spike TV, which was the UFC partner prior to the deal.

 “Shane loved it, he said, ‘No, no dad, let me run it, don’t shut it down, they got something great going on over there,'” Sonnen revealed. It seemed that Shane recognized the potential of the UFC and wanted to continue its success. Whereas, his father, Vince, wanted to shut down the UFC immediately.

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Sonnen also mentioned Vince McMahon’s belief that a star cannot be created if the outcome cannot be controlled. While Sonnen disagreed with this notion, he acknowledged that McMahon had achieved great success in building stars throughout his career.

Sonnen’s reveal comes after the UFC and WWE merger this year

In recent news, the parent company of the UFC, Endeavour, announced plans for a merger with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). Before the end of 2023, the new company, TKO Group Holdings, will go public on the stock exchange. This merger follows Endeavour’s acquisition of a majority share in WWE and their previous purchase of the UFC in 2016.

Under the new deal, Endeavour holds a 51 percent stake, while WWE shareholders retain a 49 percent stake. Ari Emanuel, CEO of Endeavour, will serve as the CEO for TKO Group Holdings, with Vince McMahon serving as executive chairman. Dana White will continue as the president of the UFC, while Nick Khan remains the president of WWE.

Ari Emanuel expressed his excitement about the merger, stating, “This is a rare opportunity to create a global live sports and entertainment pure-play built for where the industry is headed.”

The merger between the UFC and WWE marks a significant development in the sports and entertainment industry. Fans and industry insiders alike eagerly await the outcome of this union and the potential impact it will have on both organizations.

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