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[Acorn]

Three months after changing hands for $4bn, UFC is making staff redundant.

Ronda Rousey to make return with title fight against Amanda Nunes at UFC 207
A UFC official said the layoffs represented “under 15%” of the workforce. A source confirmed that staff had already been laid off, and that between 60 and 80 workers were likely to be fired. About 400 people worldwide are employed by UFC.

In July, entertainment giant WME-IMG bought UFC from Zuffa LCC for about $4bn. Zuffa was majority owned by Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta, who took over in 2001 and made UFC a multi-billion dollar business.

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According to MMAFighting.com, morale at the UFC’s Las Vegas office is “very bad,” in part because rumors of the cuts have been swirling for a while. One source said the office was like a “morgue”.

Layoffs will come in multiple departments, including sponsorships, licensing, public relations and production. There are no immediate plans to reduce the UFC’s event schedule. High-ranking executives have also been relieved of their duties, although the UFC declined to confirm specifics. MMA Junkie reported that they included the former Manchester City chief executive Garry Cook.

In early September, UFC’s top kingmaker Joe Silva left the organization. Silva’s ability to assess fighters and pair them in intriguing match-ups had been a big part of the UFC’s success.

The UFC is based in Las Vegas, and has offices in Los Angeles, Toronto, London, Sao Paulo and Singapore. The sources said WME-IMG has no plans to close any international offices.

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/20...b-cuts?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Copy_to_clipboard

 

[NeOak]

This is how the end begins...

 

[SDCowboy]

edit: never mind

 

[Ninja Scooter]

This is how you make your $4 billion back.

 

[Google]

This is how the end begins...

What?

This is happens at nearly all companies after big acquisitions.

They get rid of the people who they deem expensive/shit/whatever and replace them with cheaper/better people.

Welcome to commerce.

 

[rikichi]

Every UFC card has been shit. It's only gonna get worse.

Hope those people getting laid off gets a job sooner or later. Feel bad for them.

 

[nilbog21]

Every UFC card has been shit. It's only gonna get worse.

Hope those people getting laid off gets a job sooner or later. Feel bad for them.

you heard it here folks. Every UFC card has been shit.

 

[Sato Koiji]

Maybe Joe Silva knew something others didnt.

 

[bodyboarder]

Didn't know Joe Silva had left.

 

[kirblar]

Maybe Joe Silva knew something others didnt.

He made bank in the sale and cashed out.

 

[geardo]

That's a sizable chunk of people. It seems that several of the higher ranked ones were marketing execs, and I'm assuming that the new owners already have people like that. I'm not sure what the jobs of the 60 to 80 other people were though.

 

[Donthizz#]

This is how the end begins...

this is how new people put their people in.

it's funny though, prior to the acquisition Dana said to the UFC employees theres's nothing for them to worry about.

 

[Mechanized]

this is how new people put their people in.

it's funny though, prior to the acquisition Dana said to the UFC employees theres's nothing for them to worry about.

Dana is full of shit. Always has been.

 

[Messi]

this is how new people put their people in.

it's funny though, prior to the acquisition Dana said to the UFC employees theres's nothing for them to worry about.

Trusting anything he says is the first mistake

 

[FUME5]

I'm guessing a lot of the regional social media / marketing guys are getting the chop while they put their own people in place or use an existing marketing network.

Every UFC card has been shit. It's only gonna get worse.

Hope those people getting laid off gets a job sooner or later. Feel bad for them.

If they've only ever put out a shit product, why would you care?

 

[oneils]

Didn't know Joe Silva had left.

Me neither, I'm surprised to hear that. Although I haven't seen him at the events but I guess I didn't put two and two together.

 

[Norwegian Rudo]

What?

This is happens at nearly all companies after big acquisitions.

They get rid of the people who they deem expensive/shit/whatever and replace them with cheaper/better people.

Welcome to commerce.

In this case they got rid of people whose jobs could be done by people already in their organization. There was major overlap between the two companies.

 

[3N16MA]

The rise of Rizin and Bellator.