Which agency-led group purchased the UFC in 2016?

The agency-led group that purchased the UFC in 2016 was WME-IMG.

The deal was announced on July 9, 2016, when WME-IMG led a consortium that bought UFC parent company Zuffa for $4.025 billion. The investment group also included Silver Lake Partners, Kohlberg Kravis Roberts, and MSD Capital. At the time, it was described as the largest acquisition in sports history.

WME-IMG was not the UFC’s sole buyer in the everyday sense: it led the ownership group alongside major investment firms, while Abu Dhabi’s Flash Entertainment retained a 10% minority stake. UFC president Dana White also stayed with the promotion and received an ownership interest.

A common mix-up is confusing WME-IMG with Endeavor. WME-IMG changed its parent-company name to Endeavor in 2017, so later UFC ownership references often use “Endeavor” instead. Endeavor later combined the UFC with WWE under TKO Group Holdings in 2023.