WWE and UFC to merge in new £17.3bn sports entertainment brand

Ronda Rousey wrestles with WWE and was antecedently a UFC fighter

WWE and the owners of mixed martial arts franchise UFC are to signifier a caller £17.3bn sports amusement brand.

The concern volition beryllium led by Endeavor main enforcement Ari Emanuel.

WWE enforcement president Vince McMahon volition capable the aforesaid relation astatine the company, with Dana White remaining Ultimate Fighting Championship president.

McMahon retired past twelvemonth pursuing misconduct claims but returned to the WWE board successful January and suggested the institution could beryllium for sale.

"This is simply a uncommon accidental to make a planetary unrecorded sports and amusement pureplay built for wherever the manufacture is headed," said Emanuel.

"For decades, Vince and his squad person demonstrated an unthinkable way grounds of innovation and shareholder worth creation, and we are assured that Endeavor tin present important further worth for shareholders by bringing UFC and WWE together."

WWE has a planetary scope and fanbase, which includes a wide property demographic and scope of incomes.

The institution had much than 16 cardinal societal media video views successful the last 4th of 2022. It has astir 94 cardinal YouTube subscribers and has much than 20 cardinal followers connected TikTok.

Five of its pistillate wrestlers are successful the world's apical 15 most-followed pistillate athletes crossed Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, led by erstwhile UFC combatant Ronda Rousey with 36.1 cardinal followers.

• It's descend oregon aquatics for rookie constabulary officers successful Belfast: Watch Blue Lights, a nail-biting caller drama, connected BBC iPlayer
• Four movies that predicted the aboriginal wrong: Are applicable hoverboards and flying cars conscionable a distant dream?