Knockeando: UFC Fight Week
2016
Por Daniel “Mr. Clutch”
Mercado Castro
La UFC celebró en grande su semana de pelea con tres mega
carteleras donde como atractivo tenía peleas estelares de mujeres y el regreso
a la empresa de Brock Lesnar. Claro, se supone que la estelar de UFC 200 fuera
Jon “Bones” Jones ante Daniel Cormier, pero Jones falló a la política de dopaje
y fue reemplazado a solo dos días por la leyenda viviente Anderson “Spider”
Silva. A pesar del desacierto, el T-Mobile Arena en Las Vegas, Nevada, fue un
“sold out” y las actividades en la semana fueron todas un éxito rotundo para la
UFC.
Las sorpresas no tardaron en llegar cuando en la estelar de
UFC 200 se coronó una nueva campeona, terminando la sequía de campeones de
Brasil. Amanda Nuñes (13-4) utilizó su jab y una fuerte derecha para tumbar a
Miesha Tate (18-6) y aplicarle un Rear Naked Choke para vencerla a los 3:16 del
primer asalto. Nuñes logró el “upset” al sorpender a Tate con agresividad y
fortaleza desde el mismo primer asalto. Ahora veremos si aparece Ronda Rousey a
retar a la nueva campeona Bantamweight. Brasil tuvo una doble coronación, ya
que José Aldo (26-2) venció vía decisión unánime (49-46, 48-47 y 48-47) a
Frankie Edgar (19-5-1) para coronarse campeón interino Featherweight. Aldo no
quiere el interino, el quiere a Conor McGregor. “I have one goal, the next time
I come here, I will beat him”; declaró Aldo luego de su victoria en franca
referencia a una revancha con McGregor. Edgar, quien trato con todo de vencer a
un difícil y preparado Aldo, completo la gesta histórica de 6 horas dentro del
octágono en su carrera. ¡Wow! Espero que Aldo tenga su revancha y no dure
segundos.
El gran atractivo de UFC 200 fue el retorno al octágono de
Brock Lesnar (6-3), quien derrotó cómodamente vía decisión unánime (29-27,
29-27 y 29-27) a Mark Hunt (12-11-1). Lesnar uso su lucha con buenos takedowns
y solido ground & pound para dominar a Hunt. Lesnar envió un mensaje de paz
luego de la lucha para detener la ola de crímenes que arropa en los recientes
días a USA. Con solo dos días de aviso, Anderson Silva (33-8-1NC) se la puso
difícil e hizo deslucir a Daniel Cormier (18-1). Cormier se apiadó de su lucha
para escapar de una abucheada victoria por decisión unánime (30-26, 30-26 y
30-26). Parece que se preparó tanto para enfrentar a Jones que no supo como
dominar al “Spider” Silva. El mexicano Cain Velásquez (14-2) dominó totalmente
a Travis Browne (18-4-1) y hasta un “Wheel Kick” lanzó en su victoria vía TKO a
los 4:57 del primer asalto. Como me gustaría ver una batalla de pesos pesados
entre Lesnar y Velásquez próximamente. ¡A palo limpio! Lesnar se echó al
bolsillo $2.5 millones de dólares por esta peleíta de apenas tres rounds,
¡Money!
En las batallas
preliminares del UFC 200, la venezolana Julianna Peña (9-2) venció por decisión
unánime (29-28, 29-28 y 29-28) a Cat Zingano (9-2). Kelvin Gastelum (13-2)
derrotó vía decisión unánime (29-28, 30-27 y 30-27) a Johny Hendricks (17-5).
TJ Dillashaw (14-3) se desquitó de Raphael Assuncao (23-5) al vencerlo por
decisión unánime (30-27, 30-27 y 30-27) y Sarge Northcutt (8-1) se escapó de
una sumisión para vencer al español Enrique Marín (8-4) vía decisión unánime
(29-28, 29-28 y 29-28).
El Fight Week comenzó con el UFC Fight Night 90 en el MGM
Grand Garden Arena en Las Vegas, Nevada, donde el boricua Eddie Álvarez (28-4)
soltó su perro interior para vencer a Rafael dos Anjos (25-8) vía TKO a los
3:49 del primer asalto y coronarse nuevo campeón Lightweight. Álvarez soltó sin
pena su striking y detuvo rápidamente al difícil dos Anjos. El boricua se llevó
el bono de $50 mil por el Performance of the Night. En otras
peleas del Main Card: Derrick Lewis (16-4-1NC) derrotó por decisión dividida
(29-28, 28-29 y 29-28) a Roy Nelson (21-13). Alan Jouban (14-4) venció por
decisión unánime (28-27, 29-28 y 29-27) para quitarle el invicto a Belal
Muhammad (9-1) y Joseph Duffy (15-2) derrotó vía sumisión/Rear Naked Choke a
Mitch Clarke (11-4) a los 25 segundos del primer asalto.
El viernes fueron las finales de The Ultimate Fighter: Season 23
desde el MGM Grand Garden Arena en Las Vegas, Nevada. En la pelea estelar
Joanna Jedrzejczyk (12-0) volvió a vencer por decisión unánime (48-46, 48-46 y
48-45) a Claudia Gadelha (13-2) para retener su faja Strawweight. Joanna
comenzó fría en los primeros dos asalto, lo que aprovechó Claudia para
establecer su lucha. En los rounds 3, 4 y 5 Joanna simplemente abusó con su
fuerte striking para demostrar quien manda en ese peso. Ambas ganaron el bono
de $50 mil por el Fight of the Night. Andrew Sánchez (9-2) fue el ganador del TUF
23 en el Light Heavyweight al dominar a Khalil Rountree (5-1) vía decisión
unánime (30-25, 30-25 y 30-26). Tatiana Suarez (5-0) fue la ganadora del TUF 23
en la rama femenina Strawweight al vencer a la difícil Amanda Cooper (2-2) con
un D’Arce Choke/Sumisión a los 3:43 del primer asalto. En otras batallas del
Main Card: Will Brooks (18-2) venció por decisión unánime (29-28, 29-28 y
29-28) a Ross Pearson (21-11-1NC). Doo Ho Choi (15-1) con una fuerte derecha
venció a Thiago Tavares (20-7-1) vía KO a los 2:42 del primer asalto y Joaquim
Silva (9-1) derrotó a los 34 segundos del primer asalto vía KO al ex invicto
Andrew Holbrook (11-1). El Fight Week terminó como el
tradicional UFC Hall of Fame.
Luego de terminado el UFC Fight Week el grupo WME-IMG
compró la UFC por alrededor de $4 billones de dólares. Dana White permanecerá
como Presidente de la misma al firmar un acuerdo de 5 años que incluye el 9% de
las ganancias netas de UFC. White es dueño del 9% de la compañía actualmente,
de la venta se espere reciba $360 millones.
WME | IMG TO ACQUIRE UFC®
Leading Mixed Martial Arts Organization Poised For International Growth Through Powerful
WME | IMG Platform
BEVERLY HILLS, CA (July 11, 2016) – WME | IMG today announced the acquisition of UFC, the world’s premier professional mixed martial arts (MMA) organization.
A global leader in entertainment and sports with a portfolio of more than 800 owned, operated and/or commercially represented events, WME | IMG will also serve as UFC’s operating partner. WME | IMG, which has a proven track record of building leading sports brands, will focus on accelerating the sport’s popularity and presence around the world. Silver Lake Partners and KKR will join WME | IMG as new strategic investors, along with MSD Capital, L.P. and MSD Partners, L.P. which will provide preferred equity financing.
“We’ve been fortunate over the years to represent UFC and a number of its remarkable athletes,” said WME | IMG Co-CEOs Ariel Emanuel and Patrick Whitesell. “It’s been exciting to watch the organization’s incredible growth over the last decade under the leadership of the Fertitta brothers, Dana White and their dedicated team. We’re now committed to pursuing new opportunities for UFC and its talented athletes to ensure the sport’s continued growth and success on a global scale.”
Founded in 1993, UFC is one of the largest and fastest growing sports brands in the world, particularly among millennials. The organization produces more than 40 live events annually and is the largest Pay-Per-View event provider in the world, broadcast in over 156 countries and territories, to nearly 1.1 billion television households worldwide, in 29 different languages. UFC continues to capitalize on digital distribution platforms via its wholly-owned subscription over-the-top service, FIGHT PASS, delivering exclusive live events, thousands of fights on-demand and original content to fans around the globe.
UFC held its much-anticipated UFC 200 event in Las Vegas on July 9. Since its centennial event in 2009, UFC has undertaken a number of measures to increase awareness among fans globally, expanding its presence in Europe, Latin America and Asia, and adding women’s divisions. The organization has also led the way among sports in promoting athlete safety. UFC is one of the largest contributors to the Cleveland Clinic’s Professional Fighters Brain Health Study, and it has the most robust drug testing program in professional sports administered by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA).
“No other sport compares to UFC,” remarked Dana White, UFC’s President who will continue in that role. “Our goal has always been to put on the biggest and the best fights for our fans, and to make this the biggest sport in the world. I’m looking forward to working with WME | IMG to continue to take this sport to the next level.”
Lorenzo J. Fertitta, Chairman and CEO, UFC, said: “We’re confident that the new ownership team of WME | IMG, with whom we’ve built a strong relationship over the last several years, is committed to accelerating UFC’s global growth. Most importantly, our new owners share the same vision and passion for this organization and its athletes.”
Upon closing, Lorenzo Fertitta will step down from day-to-day operations, but Frank Fertitta III and Lorenzo Fertitta will both retain a passive minority interest in the organization.
WME | IMG’s strategic investment partners include leading global investment firms Silver Lake and KKR who have a track record of growing strong business enterprises in diverse industries together.
Silver Lake first made a strategic minority investment in WME in 2012 to support the company’s development of new business models and distribution channels leveraging the convergence of content creation and technology. Silver Lake subsequently reinvested in WME and supported its management team in the company’s 2014 acquisition of IMG.
Since 2015, WME | IMG and Silver Lake have completed a number of acquisitions to expand WME | IMG’s capabilities and client services globally and to broaden its owned event portfolio and content offerings through properties like the Professional Bull Riders, Inc. (PBR). The PBR Built Ford Tough Series has broken ten event attendance records and increased television viewership over 20% in 2016 following WME | IMG’s acquisition. As part of WME | IMG’s platform, UFC will leverage the same global relationships and capabilities to accelerate its growth trajectory.
In addition to its sports marketing and global events portfolio, WME | IMG also represents a diverse roster of artists and content creators across every entertainment vertical, including motion picture, television, music, books, digital and theater. Its sports client roster ranges from professional athletes to sports federations and leagues to more than 200 collegiate institutions. The company also works with top-100 global advertisers to develop meaningful consumer platforms and helps new and iconic brands optimize their licensing potential.
Each year, IMG produces more than 52,000 hours of sports programming and arranges to distribute an additional 32,000 hours on behalf of more than 200 clients including major sports leagues and associations like The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club (Wimbledon), the National Football League, Premier League, Major League Soccer and Euroleague. The company also operates one of the largest sports training institutions in the world, IMG Academy.
The UFC transaction is subject to customary closing conditions. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP, Kirkland & Ellis LLP, Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP, and Proskauer Rose LLP served as legal advisors to the buying group and Freshfields served as legal advisor to MSD Capital. Barclays, Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC, Deutsche Bank Securities Inc., affiliates of Goldman, Sachs & Co., and KKR Capital Markets LLC (in alphabetical order) are acting as the buyers’ financial advisors and are providing financing for the transaction.
The transaction was led for the sellers by UFC CFO Nakisa Bidarian, with Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy LLP as legal advisors, and The Raine Group and J.P. Morgan as financial advisors.
UFC® “WE ARE ALL FIGHTERS” SHIRTS PROMOTE LGBTQ EQUALITY
Las Vegas – As part of the organization’s newly introduced “We Are All Fighters” initiative, UFC® has partnered with the LGBTQ Center in Las Vegas to produce a series of shirts that show support for the LGBTQ community and its members. The shirts will serve as a physical representation of solidarity, but will also provide financial support with all proceeds from the shirt directly benefitting the LGBTQ Center.
Star UFC athletes have already been spotted wearing the new shirt at various events throughout Las Vegas during UFC International Fight Week. UFC fans are also invited to show their support buy purchasing a shirt at T-Mobile Plaza or at UFC Fan Expo, which runs from Friday, July 8 through Sunday, July 10. The shirts – which feature the phrase “We Are All Fighters” in rainbow colors – are expected to become available for online purchase at a later date.
Funds raised through sale of the shirts will help LGBTQ Center in its mission to further the well-being, positive image and human rights of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer community, as well as its allies and low- to moderate-income residents in Southern Nevada.
“Just as it takes courage to step into the Octagon, it takes courage to stand for what you believe in – and we’re proud to stand with members of the LGBTQ community in their fight for equality,” said Ike Lawrence Epstein, Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, UFC. “As friends and allies of the LGBTQ community, our hope is to raise awareness and help support community groups like the LGBTQ Center that directly impact LGBTQ individuals.”
“The Center is proud and privileged to be a partner with UFC. What makes it a special moment for us is that we are able to partner with them as they launch their new program for corporate social responsibility,” said Michael Dimengo, CEO, The Center. “We embrace UFC’s motto ‘We Are All Fighters.’ In our realm, we are fighting for equality but we are so proud to stand with UFC’s fight for youth as well as the fight for health and well-being of all individuals. Thank you UFC and your desire to positively impact our world!”
UFC’s “We Are All Fighters” initiative, introduced in 2016, is inspired by UFC athletes and celebrates the fighting spirit in all of us. The program is designed to make a meaningful impact in communities where UFC events are held by supporting organizations that help people overcome adversity, achieve equality, or provide a public service. With equality serving as a main pillar of the program, UFC has committed itself to championing equality around the world, including in the promotion’s home city of Las Vegas.
