Here’s quite easily the weirdest sports story you’re gonna hear in a long, long while.
A raft of celebrities, including Conan O’Brien, LL Cool J, and Ben Affleck are all now very legitimate part-owners of the UFC. Yes, we’re serious. No, this isn’t a stitch-up.
The yarn goes that after the UFC was sold to William Morris Endeavour-International Management Group for US$4billion, in what is the largest transaction in the history of sports by some margin, the organisation then actually had to come up with that cash.
The group, which specialises in talent management as a core function, has apparently taken the somewhat unique tactic of approaching some of its high-profile clients, offering them the chance to invest in the UFC, and score themselves a small ownership stake in the MMA behemoth in the process.
23 celebrities have reportedly taken WME-IMG up on that offer, and now the UFC ownership group sports a Hollywood Walk of famous names from the acting, sports, and entertainment worlds.
The full list of 23 newly minted owners is expected to be released tomorrow, but for the time being we know for sure that O’Brien, Affleck, LL Cool J have bought in, as has New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton, Serena Williams, Venus Williams, Maria Sharapova, Mark Wahlberg, and Adam Levine.
Conan announced the unreal development on his show a few hours ago, jokingly claiming that his stake in the UFC will now allow him to step inside the octagon to fight Conor McGregor and Ronda Rousey.
All we need now is for Conan to make a Mr. McMahon-style heel-turn and go apeshit all over Conor and the UFC will have its very own version of the Attitude Era.
McGregor vs O’Brien in a steel cage. Book it.
Source: MMA Junkie.
Photo: Nicholas Hunt/Getty.
