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UFC & TNT Sports Dive into Zuffa-Endeavor Deal Fallout

TNT Sports' latest UFC documentary chronicles how the UFC sale between Zuffa and Endeavor went down.

Zain Bando

Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Ahead of UFC 306, U.K. broadcast partner TNT Sports dropped an exclusive documentary titled "The Rise and Rise of the UFC." It became available to stream Saturday in the U.K. on discovery+ and will air on later dates on TNT Sports in the region.

It is unclear if it will be available stateside, but the documentary's essence revolves around the history of the promotion, with a major chunk dedicated the UFC's 2016 sale, as the promotion was acquired by Endeavor from Zuffa.

UFC CEO and president Dana White said the sale hurt him emotionally, given ex-chairman Lorenzo Fertitta was his best friend from high school, and they had done business together for the better part of 15 years.

"I hated the sale," White told TNT's Adam Catterall. "I didn't want to sell [the UFC], but the Fertitta's were ready to go. I think because I didn't want it, I just didn't think it was going to happen. So, I just sort of dismissed it. And then, it hit me like a ton of bricks when it actually went down."

White added that a phone call from Fertitta himself made White reflect on his future as a promoter.

"Lorenzo called me and said, 'The deal is done. We sold. And, I just remember, I was like...I couldn't believe that it was real. And, he was like, 'When you get to the arena [for UFC 200], you need to sign the papers.' And I was like, Oh, f***.'"

The clip then goes onto show various headlines from major news media outlets before Fertitta chimed in with his side of the story.

"We went in the back [of the T-Mobile Arena] into the locker room during, before or after the weigh-ins, whatever it was," Fertitta said. "I said, 'Dude, don't worry about me. I'm good. Be happy. We just accomplished something that was unheard of and nobody ever thought could be accomplished. Now, let's let Ari [Emmanuel] do what he does with Endeavor, which is go cut incredible deals. He's gonna let you run this thing on a day-to-day basis. You're gonna take this thing to the next level, and that's what happened."

Today, the UFC can be seen on a weekly basis on ESPN and ESPN+, showcasing marquee events all over the world.

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Zain Bando
ZAIN BANDO

Zain Bando is a writer for MMA Knockout, part of the Sports Illustrated/Minute Media umbrella. He has covered combat sports since 2019 for notable outlets BJPenn.com and FanSided MMA. He also co-hosts a podcast called "The MMA Outsiders," part of the Empty The Bench Podcast Network, which airs Tuesday nights at 7:00 p.m. ET/4:00 p.m. PT. A Chicago suburban native, Bando has been enthralled with MMA since 2006 and has been fortunate to attend some of the most high-profile events in the sport's history, both as a fan and media member, including UFC 264, Bellator 297 and Kayla Harrison's PFL MMA debut. He is excited to take the next step in his combat sports writing journey and looks forward to continuing his following of the fight game for years to come. Bando can be reached via email at zainbando99@gmail.com or by social media @zainbando99

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