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UFC recently emerged as the undisputed champion among combat sports promotions in 2024, boasting a valuation nearly double that of WWE.
The Las Vegas-based MMA promotion currently reigns supreme as the unrivaled powerhouse in combat sports, with a roster teeming with top-tier professional fighters.
According to a recent report from Forbes, the UFC soared to the top of the 2024 ranking of the most valuable combat sports promotions, commanding a staggering value of $11.3 billion. Trailing behind, WWE secured the second position with a valuation of $6.8 billion, while its pro wrestling rival, AEW, claimed the third spot with a value of $2 billion.
Less than a year ago, in September 2023, the UFC and WWE united under a single IPO called TKO Group Holdings. Both entities boasted media rights revenue exceeding $800 million, a figure noted in the report as more than triple the total revenue of all other promotions listed.
The second MMA organization following the UFC on the list is ONE Championship, ranked fourth and valued at $1.3 billion, with PFL coming in at sixth place with a total valuation of $690 million.
Matchroom Boxing led the pack as the highest-valued boxing promotion, boasting a valuation of $850 million. Among the other boxing promotions in the top 10 were Top Rank Boxing at $630 million, Premier Boxing Championship at $600 million, and Golden Boy Promotions at $450 million.
Check out the entire Forbes list below:
The $11.3 billion valuation reflects the remarkable expansion the UFC has experienced in the last twenty years. In 2001, Lorenzo and Frank Fertitta acquired the floundering promotion for a mere $2 million, which marked the inception of Zuffa LLC. The subsequent sale of the company to Endeavor for $4 billion in 2016 highlighted an astounding annual return of 72 percent.
The MMA organization is basking in the aftermath of its monumental UFC 300 pay-per-view last Saturday, which raked in a $16.5 million gate, making it the third-highest-grossing event in the promotion's history.
UFC's parent firm Endeavor enters $13 Billion agreement with Silver Lake to go private
Earlier this month, Endeavor, the parent company of UFC, announced its intention to be acquired by the private equity firm Silver Lake for $27.50 per share. This decision signifies a shift to private ownership three years after the sports, entertainment, and talent management conglomerate went public.
The equity firm, already holding 71% of Endeavor's voting shares, will acquire the remaining shares, adding $4.6 billion in equity value for all Endeavor shareholders. The acquisition, expected to conclude in the first quarter of 2025, will see Silver Lake purchasing all outstanding shares not currently owned.
Endeavor is set to be acquired at a total equity value of $13 billion, as confirmed by a statement from the entertainment company.
