What Happens If The UFC Really Has Been Sold?

Reports of the UFC finally accepting a massive $4.2 billion bid for full ownership of the company emerged last night, and the largest mixed martial arts organization’s future is suddenly up in the air with this revelation. The fact the reported bid has been disputed by UFC executive Dave Sholler provides an interesting twist in this ever-evolving storyline, but the obvious questions about the purchase and change of ownership still remain.

It’s interesting to think that after nearly 23 years of existence, the UFC could be undergoing yet more massive changes. Having evolved from a ‘guilty sin’ sport in the early 1990’s to a somewhat lost product towards the end of that decade, to the now-firmly polished profit-generating machine we see in 2016, what’s going to happen if the UFC really has been sold?

There are three ways this could go; up, down or neither, and the importance lies in exactly what could be changed, because at this stage we aren’t sure what the reported new owners plan on doing with the company.

UFC president Dana White is rumored to be staying on, but commentator Joe Rogan said he’ll walk instantly if the promotion changes hands. Aside from this, here are some areas of the UFC that could be altered immeasurably:

Fighter Pay Conditions

Here’s a massive part of a very controversial argument that’s ongoing right now, and could be hugely impacted by a change in the ownership of the UFC. For years now, fighters have been crying out for a union, better pay and working conditions, and perhaps the expansion of the Muhammad Ali act to MMA actually helped the timing of this entire sale.

Things can surely only get better when, for instance, Joanne Calderwood scores brutal TKO against former title contender Valerie Letourneau only to later reveal she is too broke to afford another training camp. Danger pay alone should cover a fighter’s next camp. Donald Cerrone, a 21 (17-4) fight UFC veteran recently declared he ‘wasn’t worth sh*t’ to the UFC. Is this really the attitude the new owners want to promote?

That said, if it ain’t broke don’t fix it, and it’s also hard to envision new ownership actually increasing operating cost from the start. Going with that mantra could mean fighters could also remain on the same ‘living wage’ or maybe even take a hit.

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Production

Again, you’d imagine that the current working model behind the UFC’s growing brand would essentially stay the same, but you can never be sure. In a large company such as the UFC, there are multiple departments that make up what we see on fight night, and even the smallest changes could have a butterfly effect on the end product.

We already know that Rogan is likely to walk off in to the sunset, so already that’s a big hole in what fans are used to, so what else? We can’t be sure that the way the UFC is presented isn’t about to have a complete overhaul, for better or worse. It’s one thing to say that’s their intention, but for the new owners to stick to their guns on that is something all together different.

Could things improve? Well, yes; there are still many areas in which the UFC is lacking, and perhaps this new beginning can fill those cracks.

The Entire Future Of MMA

Yes, as dramatic and bold as this statement may be, it’s potentially the entire future of mixed martial arts at stake here. The sale of the UFC could encompass all of the above factors, possibly more we haven’t even thought about yet, but as always, the biggest MMA promotion holds the future of the sport in their hands.

Think back to the pivotal moments in any sport’s history, this could well mark the beginning of an even brighter future for a once hated sport, or quite possibly the steady downfall following its peak. Consider this: what if the the new owners ruin the UFC, and Bellator takes the reigns as the number one organization? That’s a world I for one do not want to live in. But humor aside, stranger things have happened.

As with any business venture, the UFC could become even more profitable, even further than the wildest dreams of the Fertitta bros. and White, and gain massive recognition, more than it ever has, up there with sports like the NFL and NBA on a daily basis. The bottom line is simple.

Right now, anything is possible.