Lorenzo Fertitta Confirms FTC Investigation Into Zuffa

[No More Sorrow]

“My understanding is that yes they have opened a ‘non-public’ investigation based on the acquisition we made of Strikeforce, a $34 million acquisition. It was below the level that you would have to report under [the] Hart-Scott [laws] but of course they can investigate whenever they want and we have complied with everything they asked for,” Fertitta says in a video interview released today.

fertitta denies that the Strikeforce acquisition has created a monopoly to the detriment of fighters and MMA consumers. But yesterday in an investigative special report, ESPN challenged the UFC and said that it does have a monopoly because there is no comparable outlet for fighters to use their skills than under the lucrative UFC banner.

“There never has been a comparable outlet, when has there ever been a comparable outlet? We have dominated this sport, dominated this space, because we have a better product, we put up our money and we were smarter than everyone else,” Fertitta counters.

“We have created an entire industry that didn’t exist before and people have benefited from our way in every manner, whether its the efforts we made to get it regulated in these states… in Ohio, we helped to get it regulated there. We may go to Ohio every other year, we may not go for three years [but] there are 200 fights a year in Ohio.

“We opened up an industry for promoters, fighters. Same for California, same thing around the world.”

Fertitta’s answer to charges of monopoly is to remind people that the UFC has invested heavily in making the sport of mixed martial arts as popular as it is today. One result of that has been that TV networks which were not interested in MMA now want to carry MMA programming. Fertitta says this creates opportunity for competition.

“Me and my brother put up $10 million to produce The Ultimate Fighter. Spike didn’t pay us anything for that - we risked our money, we put it on there, it worked. Now you have Comcast, NBC, Universal, Fox, Viacom… all these other big major networks want MMA programming,” he says.

“We can’t be on all of them, its impossible. There is room, there is space, for any one of these guys to sit down with them. Do it the American way - come up with an original concept, put down your money and compete! Its not like there is no outlet for these guys, and with major broadcasters [at that].”

MMAJunkie.com

 

[The Cork]

Even if it was a monopoly, at least the sport is in safe hands...

Look at all the MMA companies that have gone bust, yet Zuffa run a tight ship with the UFC model, giving a hell of a lot of guys a chance to get a payday. IDK, I think its a bit wrong to trash the people who've done more for the sport than anyone else.

 

[Deezy]

All the fighters are medically insured, what other sports company can say that?

Monopoly my fucking ass, NFL, NHL, NBA, are not monopolies? What a load of garbage.

 

[Slim]

All this is... is just more of a way to try to bury UFC and MMA. Its ridiculous.

 

[Deezy]

Not to mention the fact that old boxing money was constantly being used in certain markets to keep MMA out when they were becoming popular. ESPN and the grandpa's who run that shithole know nothing about the sport and still try to treat it like 93 era UFC. It's a disgrace and just shows the bias that company has against anything new.