According to Dana White, it has been disclosed that the late Kobe Bryant was a significant investor in the UFC, and he had received a distribution payout from the company shortly before his tragic passing.
During the summer of 2016, WME-IMG successfully acquired the UFC. This acquisition led to a significant turnover of executives within the company. But notably, Dana White chose to remain with the organization.
Once the purchase was finalized, Endeavor, the parent company of WME-IMG, organized a meeting for their clients. Offering them the opportunity to invest in the UFC by purchasing a share of the company.
As a passionate UFC enthusiast and a shrewd investor, the influential American had established a strong connection with the MMA promotional company and was poised to reap the rewards of its exceptionally successful financial year.
Dana White reflects on Kobe Bryant’s passion for UFC
After becoming a prominent figure for the Los Angeles Lakers, the legendary Kobe made a significant investment in the UFC and maintained regular communication with the company’s president, Dana.
Their close bond was evident when both White and Bryant appeared together at a press conference held by the UFC. Where they announced their partnership with Body Armor.
Despite his role as a promoter, Dana cherished their friendship and spoke highly of Bryant in an interview with Complex. Expressing admiration for the former Lakers star’s enthusiasm when he first joined the UFC in the summer of 2016.
“I knew him personally, he and I were friends,” White stated in the interview when asked about Kobe. “He actually invested in the UFC. When Endeavor bought. They let all their clients come in and take a piece, he took a piece.
Not only was he like [Michael] Jordan with the same mentality which I love and respect so much. But, he was an incredible human being.”
How much Kobe received as payout from UFC before death
Kobe, a passionate fan of the UFC, openly shared his experiences of attending fights “incognito” during a joint press conference with Dana White in 2017.
It was during this conference that they announced a partnership between the championship and Body Armor, an energy drinks company co-owned by Bryant. This collaboration proved to be highly lucrative for Bryant, as just four days before his tragic helicopter crash.
He received a substantial payout from the partnership, as revealed by White in a preview of UFC 247. Within a year of Kobe’s involvement, White estimated the UFC’s value to be at least $7 billion. Accompanied by revenue of at least $800 million the previous year.
‘Kobe got a distribution from the UFC the Wednesday before the incident’, White, the company’s president, told TMZ Sports.
‘He was so pumped up and excited and he said what everybody always says: “I wish I had invested more!” ‘He was a great dude. He was a part of this company, and Kobe Bryant was a good guy in every way that you could possibly be a good guy.’
While the exact amount of the payout remains undisclosed. Dana emphasized that 2019 was an exceptionally prosperous year for the company. Highlighting it as the UFC’s “best year.”
What are your thoughts regarding this? Let us know in the comment section below.
