Endeavor’s Purchase Of The WWE Caps Off A Crazy Combat Sports Weekend
What a wild weekend it was for combat sports fans. There wasn’t even a UFC card, but from Friday to Sunday, it was almost overwhelming how much went on in the world of combat sports. From the PFL season debut to Wrestlemania, we saw it all–there was even a boxing card put on by Jorge Masvidal (and no, that was not a Madlib).
All of this, though, was capped off by the biggest news of the week: Endeavor, the parent company of the UFC, purchased a 51% stake in the WWE. So, yes, the McMahon’s family nearly complete control of the WWE is coming to an end after almost SEVENTY YEARS of ownership.
A deal between Endeavor and the WWE has been in the rumor mill for months now, but it all came to fruition today, April 3rd. We’re not sure how much the 51% stake sold for, but I’d only assume it’s in the BILLIONS of dollars range.
Endeavor Purchases Majority Stake In the WWE: Now What?
While the deal only went through today, it seems like Endeavor already has grandiose plans for the WWE. Endeavor’s CEO Ari Emanuel will now serve as the CEO of both Endeavor AND their newly formed company, name pending, which will house both the WWE and the UFC.
The UFC and the WWE have been somewhat intertwined over the past few years, with a few of BOTH of the sport's biggest stars to thank. The first real “crossover” we saw happened in 2008, when WWE superstar Brock Lesnar first stepped foot into the UFC octagon.
Lesnar would actually go on to WIN the UFC Heavyweight title, but ultimately returned to the WWE after a few losses.
Lesnar was not the only star to flip-flop, though, as WWE star CM Punk tried his luck in the octagon in 2016. Punk was not as lucky as Lesnar though, losing his only two fights in the organization (one of the losses was turned into a “no-contest” after Punk’s opponent tested positive for marijuana).
Of course, there’s also Ronda Rousey who, after she lost to Amanda Nunes at UFC 259, turned to the WWE in 2017 and was a massive success. She most recently performed this weekend at Wrestlemania 39.
What Else Happened This Weekend?
Like I said, this weekend was a busy one for us combat sports fans. Here’s a quick rundown of all of this weekend's events, all of which could have been bet on through any of these online casinos.
Bellator 293
Bellator 293 started on Friday, March 31st, and was our first hit of combat sports this weekend. The main event between Heavyweights Marcelo Golm and Daniel James had serious #1 contender implications, and it did not disappoint. Both fighters came into the bout on four-fight win streaks, but someone’s 0 had to go–and, unfortunately for Golm, it was his.
Daniel James knocked out Golm in the third round after a bevy of heavy blows, all culminating in an uppercut that sent Golm to the canvas. "You know, Bader is in the crowd," James said after his win. "Bader knows I want him. He's a good guy. ... I know he said he hasn't been fighting anybody that is worthy and I want to give him that shot. I'm worthy. ... I want the opportunity to fight Bader."
The main event wasn’t the only noteworthy Bellator fight on Friday, though. Ex-UFC Star Cat Zingano won a bloodbath against Leah McCourt in one of the more exciting fights you’ll watch all year.
Lightweight Mike Hamel defeated Nick Browne with a first-round KO, and seems ready to put the entire division on blast.
2023 PFL 1
The PFL started their new season on Saturday, and their opening card had some HUGE fights on it. Movlid Khaybulev absolutely dominated Ryoji Kudo in three straight rounds, proving to us all again that the Dagestanis just do it differently.
Ex-UFC fighter Krzysztof Jotko lost to Will Fleury via a split decision, and Bubba Jenkins defeated Chris Wade via a unanimous decision.
The last two fights of the night were the most important, though, and it all kicked of with a Light Heavyweight bout between Rob Wilkinson and Thiago Santos. Santos is most remembered for taking Jon Jones the distance back in 2019, but has since run into some trouble. That trend continued on Saturday, seeing as how Wilkinson defeated Santos via unanimous decision.
The main event of the evening saw Brendan Loughnane defeat Marlon Morales in the second round, winning via leg kick. This is Moraes’ SIXTH loss in a row, and it could mark the beginning of the end for the MMA veteran.
Gambred Boxing 4
Last but not least, we’ve got Gambred Boxing 4. No, this is not an April Fools day joke–even though it did take place on April Fools. Jorge Masvidal held his fourth fight card on Saturday night, and it featured some marquee UFC names.
Jose Aldo and Jeremey Stephens engaged in a back-and-forth bout that ended in a majority draw, and Vitor Belfort defeated Jacare Souza via unanimous decision. The main event of the evening brought about one of the biggest upsets of the weekend, as Anthony Pettis defeated Roy Jones Jr via a majority decision.
Pettis’ odds to win before the bout were as high as +300 on some online casinos, but he was able to pull out the win.
