Eric Bischoff says he once turned down an opportunity to purchase the UFC
While speaking on his podcast, former WCW President Eric Bischoff commented on the Ultimate Fighting Championship brand. Here is what Bischoff stated…
“I’m a huge UFC fan. I love the business. I love the sport. I’m just not one of those fans that follows it and is fluent in every aspect of the current champions and so forth. But I do love the sport.
I admire the hell out of what Dana White, in particular, and everybody who came in behind him and helped support him accomplished.
You go back to the very beginning of the UFC, because I remember it distinctly. I remember getting a phone call one Friday night when I was out having a beer with my wife. The guy who owned it, or was in top management—I can’t remember his name right now—called me and said, ‘Hey, would you like to buy the UFC for $2.5 million?’
At that time, the UFC couldn’t get into venues. There were states trying to outlaw them. John McCain was pressuring people. It was a big mess, and the business side of it was a mess.
I was interested in the brand, but not interested in the acquisition because I didn’t feel like there was anything I could contribute to turn things around. It just was what it was.
So anyway, I passed on that.
But if you look at what Dana White did, and what the Fertittas did when they came in, they lost over $350 million on the UFC before they made their first nickel. That’s a commitment—a big commitment.
And it wasn’t just the financial commitment. It was the emotional commitment that somebody like Dana and the Fertittas made to this sport.”