In April 2023, the MMA community was surprised to learn that WWE and UFC would come under the same umbrella. UFC’s parent company, Endeavor, bought the wrestling promotion for a whopping $9.3 billion. This unexpected move sparked speculation about what changes the merger might bring to both promotions. While the future remains uncertain, it is clear that the merger could lead to a unified combat sports company called TKO Holdings. As per the latest reports, the UFC and WWE will come under the same umbrella this Tuesday.
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Amid this vast change, the amount generated by the UFC in 2022 is revealed. The huge amount of money generated by the UFC proves that the promotion is tremendously growing year by year. The CEO of the UFC, Dana White, is indeed the major figure behind this enormous growth of the promotion. However, White has always been blamed by the public for paying less to the fighters who trade their lives inside the octagon. Let’s dive deeper and find out the amount generated by the UFC in 2022.
The net income generated by UFC in 2022
The UFC CEO, Dana White, has always been under public scrutiny for paying less to the fighters. However, this does not mean that the promotion is not making money. To the surprise of the combat sports world, the promotion earned a whopping $387 million in net income in 2022, according to a financial statement given to the SEC.
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The world’s biggest MMA promotion has been a financial powerhouse in the past few years. It generated over $1 billion in revenue each of the last two years. In 2022, UFC’s net income increased by $115 million compared to 2021, while total operating costs totaled $45 million. The promotion has continued to perform well in 2023 as well. The company generated $170 million in net income over the first half of the year.
Dana White rules out the possibility
The UFC-WWE merger created a huge buzz in the combat sports industry. When the merger was made official, many felt that there would be crossover fights as it could help TKO Holdings make huge profits. It would be a visual treat for combat sports lovers if the two different worlds collided.
However, UFC CEO Dana White made it clear that crossover bouts between the UFC and WWE are not possible. According to White, the MMA promotion showcases real fights between two fighters. On the other hand, it’s a known truth that the WWE is scripted and solely meant for entertainment. Hence, the 54-year-old feels that it is impossible to have crossover bouts between a fighter from the UFC and a wrestler from the WWE. Do you think that the UFC-WWE merger can bring vast changes to both promotions? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
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