Though largely a shock in terms of timing, the deal shouldn’t be that much a surprise in terms of the UFC’s acquisition strategy as they’ve previously bought out other established organizations – chief amongst them Pride Fighting Championships (2007), World Extreme Cagefighting (2006), and the World Fighting Alliance (also 2006).
Like an other large business looking to grow as a strategic initiative, the UFC (Zuffa) acquisition strategy is rooted in the principle of taking sound business risks while obtaining key assets that could aid them in their business goals. For the UFC, these purchases can be driven by a multitude of different factors, such as: being able to acquire key contracts, as in that of one Quinton “Rampage” Jackson via the WFA purchase; gobbling up a key competitor in order to absorb their history, as in with Pride FC and their video library; or as a means to enhance their own growth prospectives for the UFC, as in the WEC purchase and subsequent absorption of their lighter weight classes.
Bottom line, who knows what will happen in the future, both near-term and far-ahead. One thing is for sure though. With Zuffa and the UFC continuing to lead the way, rest assured Mixed Martial Arts is in good (experienced) hands. Heck, with their backing in both business and politic lobby, the sport may even eventually find its way to the Olympics and beyond. Hang on to your hats folks, whether you know it or not, this purchase and all that came before it is exactly what we wanted. It sure is going to be fun to speculate on what will be next!