• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

MMA Payout

The Business of Combat Sports

  • Home
  • MMA
    • UFC
    • Bellator
    • One
    • PFL
  • Boxing
  • Legal
  • Ratings
  • Payouts
  • Attendance
  • Gate

MPO year in review – UFC takes out loan, cashes out Fertittas

December 23, 2017 by Jason Cruz Leave a Comment

In April, the UFC sought to raise $100 million in incremental loans to complete its buyout of the previous owners.  It appears that the UFC received those loans as the Fertittas cashed out the remaining shares they had left in the company in August.

KKR Capital was leading the effort in obtaining the loans for the company.  According to an investor presentation, with the $100 million loan, the UFC will be at 5.8 times whereas the first lien net leverage would be 4.8 times.

The UFC is marketing the company at $320M EBITDA which is an increase from an estimated $226M EBITDA from 2016 and $192M from 2015.  The numbers come from an investor presentation although there is skepticism about the vast jump from $226M to $320M.  Additionally, it is said that the company’s cuts once it took over in July has achieved cost savings of $10 million and it is projected to save $55 million by the end of 2017.

The UFC is seeking to raise $100 million in incremental loans to repay the previous owners (i.e. Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta and Flash Entertainment) in the case of a potential earnings-based payout according to a report from Reuters.

The payouts of $175M and $75M are due in the event of EBITDA milestones.  According to the Reuters report, the first payout could be due in the latter part of 2017.

KKR Capital, which took over from Goldman Sachs in January as the lead financier, is leading the process for this new loan.  Federal regulators took issue with Goldman Sachs due to its add-backs in projecting the company’s EBITDA.  KKR is not subject to the federal leverage lending guidance.

According to an investor presentation, with the addition of the $100 million loan, the UFC will be at 5.8 times (debt leverage) whereas the first lien net leverage will be 4.8 times.

The UFC is marketing the company at $320M EBITDA which is an increase from an estimated $226M EBITDA from 2016 and $192M from 2015.  The numbers come from an investor presentation although there is skepticism about the vast jump from $226M to $320M.  Additionally, it is said that the company’s cuts once it took over in July has achieved cost savings of $10 million and it is projected to save $55 million by the end of 2017.

In August 2017, Forbes reported that the Fertittas sold their remaining stake in the company. They received roughly a 26% premium over last year’s transaction.  The company acquired for $4.2 Billion dollars in July 2016 was valued at $5 Billion over a year later.

Filed Under: financial, UFC

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Featured

Scott Coker returns to MMA

Conor McGregor returns July 11th

Keane’s attorneys fire back at Top Rank based on undiscovered evidence

White writes letter to Trump requesting change to law

UFC Freedom 250 kits revealed

Dominance responds to Plaintiffs’ Fee Request

Archives

MMA Payout Follow

MMAPayout
Retweet on Twitter MMA Payout Retweeted

¿Ese es su héroe? PORQUE EL NUESTRO SÍ 🥹

Retweet on Twitter MMA Payout Retweeted

To Kirk Herbstreit, Keeper of the Mouse’s Coin Purse,

Word has drifted westward across the wheat fields and crimson hills of the Palouse that you have taken to lamenting the greed and excess of youth travel baseball. A curious sermon indeed, coming from a man seated atop the

This is malpractice

Uncrowned @uncrownedcombat

Patrick Habirora needed just 20 seconds to knock out 42-year-old former UFC champion Benson Henderson #PFLBrussels 🇧🇪

Retweet on Twitter MMA Payout Retweeted

A new dawn. A new day. QB1

Retweet on Twitter MMA Payout Retweeted

Mike Vrabel and Dianna Russini are sending Jaxson Dart a Chilis gift card thanking him for getting the news off of them for a week.

Load More

Copyright © 2026 · MMA Payout: The Business of Combat Sports