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UFC 297: STRICKLAND VS DU PLESSIS RESULTS (UFC.com)

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UFC 297: Strickland vs du Plessis Cold Open

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Sean Strickland ‘I Think This Is Going to Be a Harder Fight Than Izzy’ | UFC 297

Dricus du Plessis ‘I Am Here to Be Middleweight Champion of the World’ | UFC 297

AND NEW! Dricus du Plessis makes UFC history after bloody epic as ‘Drake Curse’ strikes again

Dricus du Plessis is the new UFC middleweight champion after defeating Sean Strickland by split decision (48-47 x2, 47-48) in an unforgettable title fight.

It was an historic night for du Plessis, who became the first ever South African-born UFC champion.

On a lesser note, he also silenced his sceptics who believed a longer fight would favour Strickland given du Plessis had previously not gone beyond four rounds prior to Sunday.

With the South African flag draped around his shoulders, du Plessis called out those “doubters” who didn’t think he’d be able to go the distance.

“How’s that for rounds 4 and 5. Who says this guy’s not a five round fighter,” du Plessis said.

He also praised his opponent, indicating the mutual respect the two share.

“You are one hell of a man. Thank you for bringing the best out of me. Thank you for being a good guy,” he said.

While a rematch is likely on the cards, du Plessis called out bitter rival and former middleweight champion Israel Adesanya, who has taken an extended break from the sport.

“Israel Adesanya, get your ass back in the UFC so we can settle the score,” he said.

Strickland believes he won the fight, but credited du Plessis for giving him a “f***ing war”.

“I called it from day one, that it was going to be a f***ing war,” Strickland said post-fight.

“It was a f***ing war. I’m salty, I think I won that, but maybe I’m being a f***ing pussy.”

Canadian rapper Drake may be salty too in that case. He put a $700,000 bet on Strickland winning the main event, with the American becoming the latest victim of the ‘Drake Curse’.

Strickland was able to land numerous jabs in the first round, but du Plessis responded with a couple of takedowns. The last thing the judges saw in the first round though was the massive right hand Strickland landed.

Despite ending Round 2 with noticeable swelling on both eyes, it was a much better round for the South African, who had plenty of success attempting takedowns of Strickland before landing a double jab on the American.

Du Plessis started Round 3 on the front foot, constantly advancing and throwing plenty at his opponent including leg kicks. That left himself open to counters from Strickland, who was accurate with his jabs.

Strickland and du Plessis exchanged powerful blows to begin the fourth round before a brutal right hand from the South African drew claret from the American’s head.

Du Plessis attempted and was successful in another takedown soon after and by the end of Round 4, the challenger had converted six of nine takedown attempts.

“Nobody has really taken down and controlled Strickland like this,” Dominick Cruz said in commentary.

It was an up and down battle in the final round with both fighters connecting with wild swings, especially in the dying minutes.

‘IT FEELS SURREAL’: PENNINGTON GETS LONG-AWAITED TITLE

In the co-main event, Raquel Pennington claimed the vacant women’s bantamweight title with a unanimous decision win over Mayra Bueno Silva.

The judges scored the fight 49-46 x2 and 49-45 with Pennington recording her sixth straight win and clearly the most important victory of her career.

“It feels surreal... first of all I want to say thank you for this opportunity. It truly means everything. It’s been a long five years to get back to this,” Pennington said post-fight.

Bueno Silva asserted herself early on, gaining control in the first round through calf kicks which had her opponent stepping back towards the fence. The Brazilian had two takedowns of Pennington but couldn’t get a submission.

Pennington put in a dominant second round, landing some big shots to the head of her opponent.

The Brazilian started to tire noticeably towards the end of the third round, and Pennington took advantage, gaining ground control while landing some body shots.
“I don’t care if Bueno Silva won the first two rounds, this is trending in the wrong direction,” Daniel Cormier said in commentary.

“She is exhausted.”

Pennington picked up in Round 4 where she left off in the previous, and had a continually tiring Bueno Silva on the floor for most of it.

Bueno Silva did attempt a couple of choke outs but Pennington was able to overcome them before connecting with a couple of late shots to her opponents head.

“Bueno Silva was unable to walk back after that round,” Cormier said.

If the result was in doubt entering the final round, it soon wasn’t with Pennington quickly gaining the upperhand with a submission attempt which almost saw her opponent tap out.

Pennington dominated the final round, which ended with the American kicking Bueno Silva, who offered nothing in return.

“About the worst visual you can ask for,” Jon Anik said in commentary as Bueno Silva remained on her back for the final 20 seconds of the fight.

FULL UFC 297 WRAP: A CONFUSING CELEBRATION AND EPIC COMEBACK

There was plenty of confusion at UFC 297 on Sunday, with Charles Jourdain celebrating victory after Sean Woodson was announced the winner of the pair’s featherweight fight.

Veteran announcer Bruce Buffer declared Woodson the winner via split decision, although the crowd seemed to think he said Charles instead of Sean, cheering loudly as the Canadian raised his hands in the air.

Although it was then quickly clarified that his American rival was in fact the winner, although even Woodson didn’t realise at first, seemingly thinking he had lost too based on Jourdain’s reaction.

“How weird is that to think that you lost. You were walking away and then you turned around,” Daniel Cormier said to Woodson in the octagon.

“I heard him announce it as split so I knew it was tight,” replied Woodson.

“I didn’t even hear who they announced I just saw Charles’ corner celebrating so I assumed he won. It was a close fight. I wouldn’t have been calling a robbery or anything like that but I felt like I did enough to win, I could see it going either way.”

Elsewhere, undefeated russian Movsar Evloev improved to a 18-0 record as he took care of Arnold Allen in a clinical unanimous decision win.

Allen defended constant takedown attempts from Evloev well for the most part but the Russian had a dominant second round, where he cut the 29-year-old open with a brutal jab.

Evloev proved yet again just how versatile a fighter he can be, pairing his grappling prowess with sharp striking on the way to a win over the featherweight division’s No.4 ranked contender.

Speaking after the fight Evloev said he was “ready for the winner” of the upcoming title fight between Alexander Volkanovski and Ilia Topuria.

Chris Curtis then took care of Marc-Andre Barriault in a split decision victory before Neil Magny turned the tables on Mike Malott in a stunning comeback victory.

Malott had dominated the first two rounds, crushing the American with consistent leg kicks and successfully getting three takedowns to put himself in a dominant position.

But the veteran weathered the storm and then suddenly flipped the script, scoring a pair of late takedowns and capitalising on the final one as he unloaded on Malott with a brutal ground-and-pound.

Malott had no answer and the referee eventually stepped in, sealing the stunning comeback for Magny.

Earlier, the card kicked off in emphatic fashion as Jimmy Flick scored a second-round submission victory despite being outlanded 74 to seven overall.

Flick, who had been stopped in his last two fights before Sunday, had four submission attempts before finally finishing hometown hero Malcolm Gordon with an arm triangle.

Flick played up to the crowd after getting the result too, welcoming the chorus of boos.

Having been outlanded 37 to 3 in significant strikes, it represented the largest statistical comeback finish in UFC flyweight history.

It was two submissions from just as many fights to open the card after Jasmine Jasudavicius got her first UFC finish in a dominant win over Priscila Cachoeira that left her rival covered in blood.

Jasudavicius landed 138 of 173 strikes and 32 of 43 compared to just four significant strikes and five in total for Cachoeira, who eventually tapped but could have done with her corner throwing in the towel far sooner given the beating she received.

The Canadian said after the fight that it was revenge after Cachoeira failed to come close to the 125 pounds that the pair were supposed to be facing off at.

It meant that the contracted flyweight bout became a last-minute bantamweight fight, with Jasudavicius’s camp agreeing to take the Brazilian on at 135 pounds instead.

Jasudavicius dominated from the start with her superior grappling and looked on track for a unanimous decision victory before getting the choke late in the third round.

The early prelims then finished with a third submission as Sam Patterson impressed in his first fight since being knocked out by Yanal Ashmouz in his UFC debut last March.

Patterson made light work of Yohan Lainesse to secure the first-round submission.

Moving onto the preliminary card, the finishes kept coming as Canadian Gillian Robertson scored her second career TKO, this time forcing the referee to step in after a brutal ground-and-pound while on the back of Polyana Viana.

It came after a grappling masterclass from Robertson in the opening round and while she wasn’t able to get the finish she did maintain ground control to wear down Viana, setting herself up for the finish in the second.

It saw Robertson join Jessica Andrade with nine career finishes, only sitting behind the recently retired GOAT Amanda Nunes (10) for the most in UFC women’s history.

Speaking after her latest win, Robertson said she “needs to see a ranked opponent” next.

Later, Ramon Taveras outlasted Serhiy Sidey in a bloody war that went the distance, with the American claiming a split decision win (29-28 x2, 28-29) in his UFC debut.

Taveras vowed after the fight to employ a nutritionist to help him after he missed the bantamweight limit of 135 pounds by 3.3 pounds ahead of his ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ rematch against Sidey.

Taveras dropped Sidey at the end of the first round but both fighters had their moments where they looked on the verge of getting the finish in what was an early fight of the night contender.

“I dropped him at the end of the first. I committed more damage,” Taveras said when asked if he believes he won.

“He swung a lot, he pressured me but he also missed a lot and I connected more.”

Garrett Armfield closed the preliminary card out with a dominant striking display on his way to a unanimous decision victory over Brad Katona.

FULL UFC 297 CARD RESULTS

Main card (from 2pm)

Dricus du Plessis def. Sean Strickland via split decision - middleweight

Raquel Pennington def. Mayra Bueno Silva via unanimous decision - women’s bantamweight

Neil Magny def. Mike Malott via third-round TKO - welterweight

Chris Curtis def. Marc-Andre Barriault via split decision - middleweight

Movsar Evloev def. Arnold Allen via unanimous decision - featherweight

Prelims (from 12pm)

Garrett Armfield def. Brad Katona via unanimous decision - bantamweight

Sean Woodson def. Charles Jourdain via split decision - featherweight

Ramon Taveras def. Serhiy Sidey via split decision - bantamweight
Gillian Robertson def. Polyana Viana via second-round TKO - women’s strawweight

Early prelims (from 10:30am)

Sam Patterson def. Yohan Lainesse via first-round submission - welterweight

Jasmine Jasudavicius def. Priscila Cachoeira via third-round submission - women flyweight

Jimmy Flick def. Malcolm Gordon via second-round submission - flyweight

(FOX)

Image credit: UFC

Video

UFC Media. Sydney, Australia. 2023

Endeavor-UFC deal is the next evolution of WWE, says Vince McMahon (CNBC Television YouTube)

Tag team deal: WWE to merge with UFC (CNBC Television YouTube)

Endeavor to merge UFC with WWE in $21 billion deal (CNBC Television YouTube)

WWE in talks to sell to UFC parent Endeavor (CNBC Teleivion YouTube)

ENDEAVOR ANNOUNCES UFC AND WWE TO FORM A $21+ BILLION GLOBAL LIVE SPORTS AND ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY (UFC.com)

UFC in shock $13.5 billion takeover of WWE to create combat sport juggernaut (FOX Sports)

'Powerhouse': WWE, UFC merge to create $21b sporting giant

How UFC Got Social Media Right; WWE taking the fight online via social media and people power

UFC.com

UFC Fight Night: Atlantic City

March 31, 2024

Sean Brady vs Vicente Luque
Erin Blanchfield vs Manon Fiorot
Chris Weidman vs Bruno Silva
Dominick Reyes vs Carols Ulberg
Virna Jandiroba vs Loopy Godinez
Andre Petroski vs Jacob Malkoun
Chidi Njokuani vs Rhys McKee
Connor Matthews vs Dennis Buzukja
Angel Pacheco vs Caolan Loughran
Julio Arce vs Herbert Burns

UFC 292

Sterling vs O'Malley Results

Main Event: Sean O’Malley defeats Aljamain Sterling by TKO (strikes) at 0:51 of Round 2

Co-Main Event: Zhang Weili defeats Amanda Lemos by unanimous decision (50-43, 50-44, 49-45)

Ian Machado Garry defeats Neil Magny by unanimous decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-24)

Mario Bautista defeats Da’Mon Blackshear by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-29, 30-27)

Marlon Vera defeats Pedro Munhoz by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

Brad Tavares defeats Chris Weidman by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Gregory Rodrigues defeats Denis Tiuliulin by KO (elbows) at 1:43 of Round 1

Kurt Holobaugh defeats Austin Hubbard by submission (triangle choke) at 2:39 of Round 2

rad Katona defeats Cody Gibson by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)

Andre Petroski defeats Gerald Meerschaert by split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)

Natalia Silva defeats Andrea Lee by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Karine Silva defeats Maryna Moroz by submission (guillotine choke) at 4:59 of Round 1

ENDEAVOR ANNOUNCES UFC® AND WWE® TO FORM A $21+ BILLION GLOBAL LIVE SPORTS AND ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY
April 3, 2023

New, Publicly Listed Company to be 51% Owned by Endeavor and 49% by Existing WWE Shareholders

Endeavor to Contribute UFC into Company at Enterprise Value of $12.1 Billion

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. and STAMFORD, Conn. (April 3, 2023) – Endeavor Group Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: EDR) (“Endeavor”) and World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE: WWE) (“WWE”) today announced that they have signed a definitive agreement to form a new, publicly listed company consisting of two iconic, complementary, global sports and entertainment brands: UFC and WWE. Upon close, Endeavor will hold a 51% controlling interest in the new company and existing WWE shareholders will hold a 49% interest in the new company.

Together, UFC and WWE will have global reach, impressive scale and omnichannel distribution. On a combined 2022 fiscal year-end basis, UFC and WWE achieved revenue of $2.4 billion and a 10% annual revenue growth rate since 2019.

“This is a rare opportunity to create a global live sports and entertainment pureplay built for where the industry is headed,” said Ariel Emanuel, CEO of Endeavor. “For decades, Vince and his team have demonstrated an incredible track record of innovation and shareholder value creation, and we are confident that Endeavor can deliver significant additional value for shareholders by bringing UFC and WWE together.”

“Given the incredible work that Ari and Endeavor have done to grow the UFC brand – nearly doubling its revenue over the past seven years – and the immense success we’ve already had in partnering with their team on a number of ventures, I believe that this is without a doubt the best outcome for our shareholders and other stakeholders,” said Vincent K. McMahon, Executive Chairman of WWE.

McMahon continued, “Together, we will be a $21+ billion live sports and entertainment powerhouse with a collective fanbase of more than a billion people and an exciting growth opportunity. The new company will be well positioned to maximize the value of our combined media rights, enhance sponsorship monetization, develop new forms of content and pursue other strategic mergers and acquisitions to further bolster our strong stable of brands. I, along with the current WWE management team, look forward to working closely with Ari and the Endeavor and UFC teams to take the businesses to the next level.”

The new company will be led by Emanuel (Chief Executive Officer), who will also continue in his role as Chief Executive Officer of Endeavor, McMahon (Executive Chairman of the Board) and Mark Shapiro, who will be President and Chief Operating Officer of both Endeavor and the new company. Dana White will continue in his role as President of UFC and Nick Khan will serve as President of WWE. The Board of Directors will consist of 11 members who will be appointed at a later date, six of whom will be appointed by Endeavor and five of whom by WWE.

Together, UFC and WWE expect to deliver an estimated $50 million to $100 million in annualized run rate cost synergies by leveraging, among other things, Endeavor’s back office and robust infrastructure. Endeavor also expects significant growth across revenue areas including domestic and international media rights, ticket sales and yield optimization, event operations, sponsorship, licensing and premium hospitality. Endeavor’s success at UFC, including increasing commercial opportunities that have driven more than 2x Adjusted EBITDA growth since its acquisition in late 2016, demonstrates the significant value creation opportunity and upside potential of having UFC and WWE under one roof.

Transaction Details and Approvals

The transaction values UFC at an enterprise value of $12.1 billion and WWE at an enterprise value of $9.3 billion. The transaction represents a contribution price of WWE of approximately $106 per share (before any post-closing dividend). Additionally, UFC and WWE will each contribute cash to the new company so that it holds approximately $150 million. At closing, Endeavor intends to sweep all excess cash at UFC, and shareholders of the new company (other than Endeavor) are expected to receive a post-closing dividend.

Under the terms of the transaction, existing WWE shareholders will roll all existing equity into the new entity that will be the parent company of UFC and WWE (“NewCo” until it is named at a later date) and intends to list on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol “TKO”. The listing of NewCo will expand the collective investor base to allow for broad market participation across Endeavor and NewCo.

The transaction has been unanimously approved by the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors of Endeavor and by the Board of Directors of WWE. The transaction is subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions, including receipt of required regulatory approvals. The transaction is expected to close in the second half of 2023.

This marks the successful conclusion of WWE’s strategic alternatives review process. WWE embarked on this process to take advantage of the company’s unique position in the entertainment ecosystem as well as the inflection point coming with its media rights renewals, both of which were widely recognized in the marketplace through this process.

Advisors

Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC and Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC are serving as financial advisors to Endeavor, and Latham & Watkins LLP is serving as legal advisor to Endeavor. The Raine Group is acting as lead financial advisor to WWE. J.P. Morgan and Moelis & Company LLC are also acting as financial advisors to WWE. The Raine Group, J.P. Morgan, and Moelis & Company LLC each rendered fairness opinions to the Board of Directors of WWE. Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP is serving as legal advisor to WWE, and Kirkland & Ellis LLP is serving as legal advisor to WWE’s controlling stockholder, McMahon.

Webcast

Endeavor and WWE will make public a recorded audio webcast at 8:00 a.m. ET today discussing this transaction. The event and accompanying presentation materials can be accessed at investor.endeavorco.com or corporate.wwe.com/investors. The link to the webcast, as well as a recording, will also be available on those websites after the call concludes.

# # #

About Endeavor

Endeavor is a global sports and entertainment company, home to many of the world’s most dynamic and engaging storytellers, brands, live events and experiences. The company is comprised of industry leaders including entertainment agency WME; sports, fashion, events and media company IMG; and premier mixed martial arts organization UFC. The Endeavor network specializes in talent representation, sports operations & advisory, event & experiences management, media production & distribution, experiential marketing and brand licensing.

About UFC®

UFC® is the world’s premier mixed martial arts organization (MMA), with more than 700 million fans and 228 million social media followers. The organization produces more than 40 live events annually in some of the most prestigious arenas around the world, while broadcasting to over 900 million TV households across more than 170 countries. UFC’s athlete roster features the world’s best MMA athletes representing more than 80 countries. The organization’s digital offerings include UFC FIGHT PASS®, one of the world’s leading streaming services for combat sports. UFC is owned by global sports and entertainment company Endeavor, and is headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada. For more information, visit UFC.com and follow UFC at Facebook.com/UFC, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram and TikTok: @UFC.

About WWE®

WWE, a publicly traded company (NYSE: WWE), is an integrated media organization and recognized leader in global entertainment. The Company consists of a portfolio of businesses that create and deliver original content 52 weeks a year to a global audience. WWE is committed to family-friendly entertainment on its television programming, premium live events, digital media, and publishing platforms. WWE’s TV-PG programming can be seen in more than 1 billion homes worldwide in 25 languages through world-class distribution partners including NBCUniversal, FOX Sports, BT Sport, Sony India and Rogers. The award-winning WWE Network includes all premium live events, scheduled programming and a massive video-on-demand library and is currently available in more than 180 countries. In the United States, NBCUniversal’s streaming service, Peacock, is the exclusive home to WWE Network. Additional information on WWE can be found at wwe.com and corporate.wwe.com.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This communication contains, and oral statements made from time to time by our representatives may contain, forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These forward-looking statements generally include statements regarding the potential transaction between Endeavor and WWE, including statements regarding the expected timetable for completing the potential transaction, the ability to complete the potential transaction, expected synergies, impacts and benefits of the potential transaction, projected financial information, future opportunities, expected cash distributions and other statements regarding NewCo’s and WWE’s future expectations, beliefs, plans, objectives, results of operations, financial condition and cash flows, or future events or performance. Statements that do not relate to matters of historical fact should be considered forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, the expected market opportunity, growth, financial performance, realizable synergies and closing of the transaction. All statements other than statements of historical facts contained in this communication may be forward-looking statements. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terms such as “may,” “will,” “outlook,” “should,” “expects,” “plans,” “anticipates,” “could,” “intends,” “targets,” “projects,” “contemplates,” “believes,” “estimates,” “predicts,” “potential” or “continue” or the negative of these terms or other similar expressions. The forward-looking statements in this communication are only predictions. Endeavor and WWE management have based these forward-looking statements largely on their current expectations and projections about future events and financial trends that management believes may affect its business, financial condition and results of operations. These statements are neither promises nor guarantees and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors that may cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from what is expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to: the transaction will not be consummated; there may be difficulties with the integration and in realizing the expected benefits of the transaction; Endeavor and WWE may need to use resources that are needed in other parts of its business to do so; there may be liabilities that are not known, probable or estimable at this time; the transaction may result in the diversion of management’s time and attention to issues relating to the transaction and integration; expected synergies and operating efficiencies attributable to the transaction may not be achieved within its expected time-frames or at all; there may be significant transaction costs and integration costs in connection with the transaction; the possibility that neither WWE nor Endeavor will have sufficient cash at close to distribute to shareholders (or that the amount of cash available for distribution will be less than what the parties expect); unfavorable outcome of legal proceedings that may be instituted against WWE and Endeavor following the announcement of the transaction; and risks inherent to the business may result in additional strategic and operational risks, which may impact Endeavor’s, NewCo’s and WWE’s risk profiles, which each company may not be able to mitigate effectively. In addition, a number of important factors could cause Endeavor’s or NewCo’s actual future results and other future circumstances to differ materially from those expressed in any forward-looking statements, including but not limited to those important factors discussed in Part I, Item 1A “Risk Factors” in Endeavor’s or WWE’s respective Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022, as any such factors may be updated from time to time in its other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), accessible on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov, Endeavor’s investor relations site at investor.endeavorco.com and WWE’s investor relations site at https://corporate.wwe.com/. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made and, except as may be required under applicable law, neither Endeavor nor WWE undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Important Information For Investors And Stockholders

This communication is for informational purposes only and is not intended to, and does not, constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities or a solicitation of any vote or approval, nor shall there be any issuance or sale of securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. No offer of securities shall be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of Section 10 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. In connection with the transaction, NewCo expects to file a registration statement on Form S-4 with the SEC, which will include an information statement of WWE and a preliminary prospectus of NewCo. After the registration statement is declared effective, WWE will mail to its stockholders a definitive information statement that will form part of the registration statement on Form S-4. This communication is not a substitute for the information statement/prospectus or registration statement or for any other document that WWE may file with the SEC and send to its stockholders in connection with the transaction. INVESTORS AND SECURITY HOLDERS OF WWE ARE URGED TO READ THE INFORMATION STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS AND OTHER DOCUMENTS THAT WILL BE FILED WITH THE SEC CAREFULLY AND IN THEIR ENTIRETY WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION. Investors and security holders will be able to obtain free copies of the information statement/prospectus (when available) and other documents filed with the SEC by WWE through the website maintained by the SEC at http://www.sec.gov. Copies of the documents filed with the SEC by WWE will be available free of charge on WWE’s website at https://corporate.wwe.com/.

Non-GAAP Financial Information

In addition to the financials presented in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”), this press release includes certain non-GAAP financial information. Non-GAAP metrics have limitations as analytical tools and you should not consider them in isolation or as a substitute for or superior to the most directly comparable financial measures prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP. There are a number of limitations related to the use of non-GAAP metrics versus their nearest GAAP equivalents. Other companies, including those in Endeavor’s and WWE’s industry, may calculate non-GAAP metrics differently or may use other measures to evaluate their performance, all of which could reduce the usefulness of the non-GAAP metrics used in this press release as tools for comparison. Endeavor and WWE urge you to not rely on any single financial measure to evaluate the Company and its business. See the presentation available on Endeavor’s investor relations site at investor.endeavorco.com and WWE’s investor relations site at https://corporate.wwe.com for a reconciliation of these non-GAAP financial measures.

‘Powerhouse’: WWE, UFC merge to create $21b sporting giant

April 4, 2023

WWE is saying goodbye to existing as a family-run business as it joins with the company that runs Ultimate Fighting Championship to create a $US21.4 billion ($31 billion) sports entertainment company.

The deal announced between Endeavor and World Wrestling Entertainment, on the heels of its biggest event of the year, catapults WWE into a new era after spending decades under the control of the McMahon family.

Vince McMahon purchased Capitol Wrestling from his father in 1982, and took the regional wrestling business to a national audience with stars such as Andre the Giant, Hulk Hogan, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, John Cena and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. The company, which changed its name to World Wrestling Federation and later World Wrestling Entertainment, hosted its first WrestleMania in 1985.

McMahon, in an interview with CNBC, addressed doubts among some WWE fans and industry experts that he would ever make a deal for the business. “It’s the right time to do the right thing. And it’s the next evolution of WWE,” he said.

In a presentation after the deal was announced, the WWE and Endeavor said that they will cross-promote to drive brand awareness and deepen penetration of their overlapping fan base, more than 700 million UFC fans and 1.2 billion WWE fans worldwide.

Ties already exist talent-wise between WWE and UFC, with stars such as Brock Lesnar and Ronda Rousey crossing over between the two organisations.

A new publicly traded company will house the UFC and WWE brands, with Endeavor Group Holdings taking a 51 per cent controlling interest in the new company. Existing WWE shareholders will hold a 49 per cent stake.

The companies put the enterprise value of UFC at $US12.1 billion and WWE’s value at $US9.3 billion.

The new business, which does not yet have a name, will be led by Endeavor chief executive officer Ari Emanuel. McMahon, executive chairman at WWE, will serve in the same role at the new company. Dana White will continue as president of UFC and Nick Khan will be president at WWE.

“Together, we will be a $US21+ billion live sports and entertainment powerhouse with a collective fanbase of more than a billion people and an exciting growth opportunity,” McMahon said in a prepared statement.

He also provided some idea of where the focus of the new company will be, saying that it will look to maximise the value of combined media rights, enhance sponsorship monetisation, develop new forms of content and pursue other strategic mergers and acquisitions to further bolster their brands.

Confirmation that WWE is being sold comes after McMahon, a majority shareholder of WWE, returned to the company in January and said that it could be on the block with viewership continuing to rise.

Rumours swirled about who would possibly be interested in buying WWE, with Endeavor, Disney, Fox, Comcast, Amazon and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund all in the mix.

McMahon said on CNBC that there were several buyers interested in WWE, but that combining with Endeavor is the right move.

“It makes all the sense in the world for all these synergies that we have to extract all of the value that we can out of the marketplace,” he explained.

Media industry analysts viewed WWE as an attractive target given its global reach and loyal fanbase.

The company held its marquee event, WrestleMania, over the weekend. The two-day spectacular, held at SoFi Stadium in California, topped the existing global viewership record by 28 per cent on the first night. On the second night, it beat the existing global viewership record by 33 per cent. Merchandise sales for WrestleMania 39 climbed 20 per cent from a year earlier. Last year, WWE booked revenue of $US1.3 billion.

The company is also a social media powerhouse. It surpassed 16 billion social video views in the final quarter of last year. It has nearly 94 million YouTube subscribers and more than 20 million followers on TikTok. Its female wrestlers comprise five out of the top 15 most followed female athletes in the world, across Facebook, Twitter & Instagram, led by Rousey with 36.1 million followers.

WWE had more than 7.5 billion digital and social media views in January and February of this year, up 15 per cent from the same time frame a year ago. And WrestleMania 39 had more than 500 million views and 11 million hours of video consumed over the two days of the event, a 42 per cent increase over last year.

The new company plans to trade on the New York Stock Exchange under the “TKO” ticker symbol. Its board will have 11 members, with six being appointed by Endeavor and five being appointed by WWE.

“We like the assets of UFC and also WWE in a world where linear TV is losing market share to streaming, thus live sport content is in high demand,” wrote Jeffries analyst Randal Konik said in a note to clients.

The transaction, which was approved by the boards of Endeavor and WWE, is targeted to close in the second half of the year. It still needs regulatory approval.

Shares of World Wrestling Entertainment, based in Stamford, Connecticut, are up 33 per cent this year, but fell nearly 4 per cent in Monday afternoon trading. Shares of Endeavor, based in Beverly Hills, California, slipped more than 7 per cent.

(AP)

UFC Returns To Australia For UFC 284 In Perth

The Octagon Heads West For UFC 284 As UFC Returns To Australia

OCT. 11, 2022

UFC, the world’s premier mixed martial arts promotion, today announced its return to Australia for UFC 284 at Perth’s RAC Arena on Sunday, February 12, 2023.

In partnership with the Western Australian Government, through Tourism Western Australia, this event marks UFC’s return to Perth with a Pay-Per-View event following the success of UFC 221: ROMERO vs. ROCKHOLD in February 2018 in front of a capacity crowd.

For those who don’t want to miss a second of the action, fans can start locking in their plans and securing their tickets early as UFC Travel Packages are now available to purchase. Head to www.sportsnetholidays.com/UFC284 to book your spot.

Fight fans wanting to keep up to date with all further bout and ticketing information for UFC 284 can register their interest at www.ufc.com/perth.

This highlight on the Australian summer calendar marks UFC’s highly anticipated return to Aussie shores since October 2019, when the global UFC attendance record was set at UFC 243: WHITTAKER vs. ADESANYA at Melbourne’s Marvel Stadium.

“Australia, we’re back!” said UFC President, Dana White. “I’m so pumped we are returning to Perth for UFC 284 – it was an amazing host city in 2018 and this February we’re bringing a stacked card headlined with a championship fight. Australian fans are some of the best in the world and they’ve had to wait a long time for this. I can’t wait to put on another massive show for them. I will see you there!”

Helping make the announcement today at RAC Arena was UFC featherweight champion and No.1 Men’s Pound-for-Pound athlete in the world, Alex Volkanovski; Peter Kloczko, Vice President of Australia and New Zealand, UFC; and the Hon. Roger Cook, Deputy Premier and Minister for Tourism, Western Australia.

"Australia has a real appetite for UFC and the event attracts spectators to Perth from across the country,” said Hon. Roger Cook, Deputy Premier and Minister for Tourism Western Australia.

“The McGowan Government, through Tourism WA, is proud to support the return of this event back to Perth, after the huge success of the 2018 event. Hosting UFC at RAC Arena is expected to attract thousands of people to WA, who will patronise our local accommodation and hospitality business, and inject millions into our State’s economy.”

Peter Kloczko, UFC Vice President Australia and New Zealand added, “We are absolutely thrilled to finally be returning to Australia. Our athletes, fans and partners have been extremely patient to have a UFC event back on Australian soil. I want to thank the McGowan Government and Tourism Western Australia for their continued support for UFC, MMA and making UFC 284 in Perth possible.”

Since 2010, UFC has presented 15 live events in Australia, including sold-out shows at Sydney’s Qudos Bank Arena, Melbourne’s Rod Laver Arena, Perth Arena, Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Adelaide Entertainment Centre and Gold Coast Convention Centre. Collectively, these events have seen over 265,000 fans in attendance and millions worldwide watching on PPV and broadcast television. The six host cities to date – Sydney, Gold Coast, Brisbane, Adelaide, Melbourne and Perth – have produced a cumulative gross gate of more than $45 million and hundreds of millions more in economic impact.

For more information or current fight news, visit ufc.com.

Information regarding media accreditation for the event will be sent out at a later date.

UFC News: Anderson Silva

Ed Soares, the manager for former UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva, told MMAjunkie.com that "The Spider" has been cleared to return to training MMA. Silva broke his leg last December when Chris Weidman checked a kick.

"We've talked with the UFC, and we'll see what they come up with," said Soares, when asked when Silva might fight again.

Silva (33-6) has lost his last two - both two Weidman - after setting a UFC record with 16 straight wins. His 2,457-day title reign remains the longest in promotion history.

Many, though, wondered if Silva would be able to return from such a devastating injury. The 39-year-old has kept fans up-to-date on his progress, posting numerous videos and messages on social media sites.

- Former UFC heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos has suffered a hand injury and will not be able to meet Stipe Miocic later this month at The Ultimate Fighter Brazil 3 Finale. The UFC confirmed the news, which was first reported by Combate.

Dos Santos (16-3) was looking to get back into the win column after a 2013 loss to Cain Velasquez for the UFC heavyweight title. Two of his three career losses have come to Velasquez. "Cigano" is expected to miss several weeks of training with the injury.

So far, the UFC has yet to announce plans for Miocic (11-1) or the main event role at the May 31 card from Sao Paulo. Miocic posted on Twitter that he is "bummed about the news. Wishing dos Santos a quick recovery. Not sure where things stand, but whatever the UFC wants me to do I'm game."

Website

UFC.com