The UFC and WWE, companies that had humble beginnings only to develop into global powerhouses, have formally merged into one company in a deal that values the new entity at a staggering $21 billion, Endeavor confirmed Monday.
The UFC wasn't able to get on cable television and sold for a paltry $2 million in 2001 when a group led by Dana White and casino moguls Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta rescued it from potential collapse. As part of the deal confirmed Monday by Endeavor CEO, the UFC is itself now valued at $12.3 billion, more than $4 billion more than Forbes estimates is the worth of the most valuable NFL team, the Dallas Cowboys.