WWE & UFC merged company to be called TKO Group
The name of the hopeful merged public company that will combine WWE and UFC will be called TKO Group Holdings.
CNBC’s Alex Sherman first reported the news Tuesday.
When the plan for the merger between Vince McMahon’s WWE and Ari Emanuel’s Endeavor was first announced, it was known at that point that the eventual new public merged company would trade under the TKO ticker. McMahon and Emanuel told CNBC that the name would be announced soon.
The deal is expected to close in the second half of 2023 assuming it clears all regulatory hurdles. When it was first announced, the valuation was at $20 billion for the merged company but that will be determined by the public when shares begin trading.
McMahon will be Executive Chairman of the new company while Emanuel will be CEO. Nick Khan will remain as WWE president while Dana White will remain as UFC president.
Since 2011, Josh has been a contributing editor to Wrestling Observer/F4WOnline.com and also hosts the Punch-Out podcast. He has also written for Fight Magazine, Bloody Elbow, Bleacher Report, and other websites. He's a 2000 graduate of the University of Maine, worked in pro sports, and once was an indie ring announcer.