High-stakes acquisitions are rare in the sports world, but when they occur, they have the power to disrupt the entire landscape. The most significant sale occurred in 2016, when the Fertitta brothers, together with Dana White, sold the UFC to WME-IMG (now known as Endeavor) for a staggering $4 billion. Almost ten years later, we find ourselves witnessing history repeat itself with yet another groundbreaking agreement.

The Boston Celtics have entered a new chapter as Wyc Grousbeck has officially stepped down, selling his entire stake to private equity powerhouse Bill Chisholm. The eye-popping $6.1 billion price tag has established a new benchmark as the highest amount ever shelled out for a U.S. sports franchise. This week, the deal received the green light from the NBA Board of Governors, solidifying its official status. Consequently, Chisholm, hailing from Massachusetts, now holds a 51% stake in the team.

Dana White praises landmark $6.1 billion Boston Celtics deal

However, Bill Chisholm won’t gain full operational control until 2028. In the meantime, Chisholm will serve as Governor, with Grousbeck and Aditya Mittal named as alternate Governors. Notably, the decision to sell came shortly after Boston clinched its record 18th NBA championship last summer. Looking back, Grousbeck, who first acquired the franchise in 2002 for $360 million, walks away with a remarkable 1,594% return on investment.

Recently, Dana White weighed in on the blockbuster sale during his guest spot on the Cutler Cast, hosted by Jay and Matt. The UFC CEO applauded the Celtics’ valuation milestone while also pointing to UFC’s own momentum, having just finalized a seven-year, $7.7 billion broadcast deal with Paramount.

During the interview, host Jay asked Dana White, “What do you think about the sale that just happened? They just sold the team.” White replied, “Yeah, it’s fascinating.” From there, the conversation turned to other megadeals, including the Los Angeles Lakers’ reported $10 billion sale earlier this year to Mark Walter. When asked about the money swirling around elite franchises, White didn’t mince words: “Yeah, I don’t blame them. Six billion dollars—I’d be f–king selling too.”

The host later circled back, reminding White how he reacted when the UFC sold for $4 billion in 2016. Unlike the Fertitta brothers, Wyc Grousbeck sold the Boston Celtics for personal and family reasons. Reports said the Grousbeck family pursued the deal for “estate and family financial planning considerations.”

At 64, Grousbeck allegedly had a confrontation with his 91-year-old father, Irving, regarding the team’s future payroll strategy. Grousbeck’s departure signifies the conclusion of an extraordinary chapter. Over the span of twenty years, he led the Celtics to secure two NBA championships, reached the Finals on two additional occasions, and achieved 20 playoff appearances in 23 seasons, establishing one of the most consistent ownership tenures in contemporary basketball.

White revisits the landmark UFC acquisition by WME-IMG in 2016

During his appearance on the Cutler Cast, Dana White praised the Boston Celtics’ record-setting sale, only to be reminded by the hosts that he himself wasn’t exactly thrilled when the UFC changed hands in 2016. The UFC CEO admitted as much, saying, “Well, I did not.” He went on to recall the moment Lorenzo Fertitta told him, “I am done, I can’t do it anymore.”

The Fertitta brothers, heirs to a family with deep business roots, spent 15 years transforming the UFC after buying it in 2001 for just $2 million. By 2016, the promotion recorded its most successful financial year, as Dana White and his team drove the company’s global expansion. The brothers saw the perfect moment to cash out, yet they also recognized the volatility of MMA, a sport that rarely guarantees long-term stability.

Still, they ensured Dana White remained at the helm, recognizing that no one else could carry the brand with the same authority. White later revealed the pivotal conversation: “Me and the Fertitta brothers. So I just figured, alright, what’s next? What are we going to go do next? And we’ll move on to the next thing. And they were like, ‘Yeah, we got to talk to you. Nobody’s going to buy this if you don’t stay.’ So, and now in hindsight—I mean, it’s the greatest thing ever. We continue to break records.”

Nearly a decade later, Dana White remains the face of the UFC, relentlessly pushing the promotion to new heights while also dabbling in side projects like Power Slap and the planned revival of Zuffa Boxing. Yet, despite his outside ventures, White has repeatedly emphasized that the UFC is his life’s mission—declaring that he won’t walk away until his last breath.