7. The State Of Abu Dhabi Now Owns Part Of The UFC
The UFC is still perceived as being owned by the Fertitta brothers and Dana White under the Zuffa umbrella. However, a significant stake in MMA's monopoly is now owned outside of the founding fathers bubble. Sure it's still a private company and the Fertitta family still own the majority, but they must now answer to a major investor whose money they simply couldn't turn down. The 2010 sale of a 10% stake in the UFC was made to Flash Entertainment, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Abu Dhabi state. That's right, part of the United Arab Emirtate's government owns UFC. One of the richest sovereign wealth funds on the planet is backing Ultimate Fighting. This can only be a good thing for UFC, with Abu Dhabi having between $400 to $875 billion at it's disposal. The oil rich region is the kind of backer any major sports franchise would wish for. You also have the fact that it helps expand UFC's operations in the middle east and beyond.
