UFC Co-Owner Lorenzo Fertitta Resigns From Station Casinos To Work Full-Time With The UFC
The “major announcement” has finally been made. UFC employees were informed this afternoon in Las Vegas that UFC co-owner Lorenzo Fertitta has resigned as President of Station Casinos to work full-time with the UFC.
Thomas Gerbasi of UFC.com has full details on the announcement:
“…While perceptions about the sport of MMA have changed as casual fans and mainstream media have come aboard, what hasn’t changed is Zuffa’s single-minded pursuit of excellence, epitomized by the hard-charging White, whose hellacious pace can’t be rivaled by any head of a major sporting organization. But as White’s global journeys continued to mount while the company pursued its rapid expansion into Europe, Canada and beyond, White recently got a phone call from Lorenzo Fertitta, his best friend, high school classmate, and business partner, who decided that he was going to resign his post as President of Station Casinos to work full-time with the UFC, an announcement made officially to Zuffa employees Wednesday afternoon in Las Vegas.
“I was shocked,†said White when asked his initial reaction. “But I said ‘We did it, we’re there.’ And I was so happy because I have so much respect for him, and the UFC was his dream too. You don’t drop $44 million into something that you’re not passionate about. So this is his dream, he loves this sport, he loves this company, and I’m happy for him too.â€
For Fertitta, the sport’s incredible growth prompted his decision to devote all his time to the UFC.
“We’ve seen this explosive growth of the UFC, and particularly the opportunity we now we have internationally, so we felt like it was time for me to come aboard and help the team grow and expand,†said Fertitta. “And what it came down to was me and my brother Frank have always been in the same meetings and been running the same businesses, and we felt it was time to kind of divide and conquer. He’s gonna focus 100 percent on Station Casinos and I’m gonna focus 100 percent of my time on the UFC.â€
For White, having Fertitta in the office every day is a Godsend.
“I’m only one guy,†admits White. “Last month I was home four days. This month I was gone two weeks and my secretary just told me I’m going to be in Las Vegas next week for 24 hours. There’s so much going on, so much opportunity, and we’re growing so fast that there’s only so much I can do. I look at milestones in this company’s history, and the reason the UFC is here is because of Station Casinos. The Fertittas’ ownership of Station Casinos gave them the ability to take this on as a hobby. Now the fact that this hobby has Lorenzo leaving Station Casinos to come work on this, I’m proud of it and it’s a big day for me.â€
And despite Wednesday’s announcement, it’s not as if Fertitta is just jumping into the operations of the UFC cold. The former Station Casinos boss has always been involved with all the aspects of the business and is a fixture at Octagonside for every event. But now, all of his time can be focused on the UFC.
“I’ve always been involved in the business of the UFC,†he said. “I’ve talked to Dana numerous times a day over the last eight years about the business and I’m involved with all the major strategic parts of it. The problem is I haven’t been able to contribute 100
percent of my time, energy, effort and focus to it, and that’s really what this affords me to do. There’s so much to achieve, especially when you talk about worldwide global growth. It’s not something that one person can do – it’s got to be a team effort, and I’m really just coming over to hopefully add to the team here.â€â€œNothing changes as far as structure goes or how this thing is run,†said White. “I’m gonna keep doing what I’m doing. The difference is, me and Lorenzo talk 40 times a day anyway, and instead of me and him getting together and going over things, he’s gonna be there every day, all day, non-stop. It’s big for this company – me and my best friend got into this together and now we actually get to work together.â€
They’ve come a long way in just eight years, and perhaps what kept Zuffa afloat wasn’t just a belief in their product but in each other. That kind of loyalty is hard to find in any walk of life these days, especially in the fight game. Is that the secret?
“I think it was a passion we had for the business and the sport, and I think it also is the partnership and friendship that me, Frank, and Dana have,†said Fertitta. “I think that’s one of the keys to our success, that we’re like three brothers, and the only way to get through the bumps in the road in tumultuous times is to have a great relationship, a great friendship, and a great partnership. I think that gives us such an advantage over any of these other companies or any of these competitors. Nobody has the partnership or stability at the top that we have.â€
And now the fun really begins.
“We’re probably one of the most aggressive companies out there, and we can kick back and say ‘oh, we’re the fat cat here in the United States,’ but we don’t,†said White. “We’re out here to build a sport and build a company, that’s what we’re doing, and we’re not gonna stop until we get there.â€
Fertitta agrees.
“I’ve always been a believer that this was going to be the biggest sport on the planet,†he said. “That’s what our goal is and that’s where we’re taking it.â€
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How is that mind blowing ?
I could see one of the Fertitas eventually going full time one day.
Wow Dana that “blew” my mind…………..
thats the news?
thats Dana big news. that is not big new that is going to change mma
after all of the hype you knew we were going to be disappointed if it wasn’t something insane!
This isn’t a big deal to the average fan, but it does show a commitment of the company to continue to grow and improve, as well as does make a possible impact for the next few years to come.
Time To Take Over The WORLD!!!
Thats awesome for UFC..goin global!!! Its a sign of good things in the future
weak
Its not exactly the UFC buying EliteXC and ESPN or nothing crazy like many were expecting, but it is a good move for the UFC
Someone explain to me how that’s going to help the mma over the next 5yrs.
Mind Blowing? Oh Well. I guess we’ll see some cool stuff down the line.
It will allow the UFC’s owner to be completely committed to the company. Instead of wearing a UFC and a Casino hat, he will now work the UFC.
This additional attention “should” make the organization better in the long run.
It will free up his time to think of promotions to help draw more people into the UFC…like Jackie Moon….he might have someone fight a bear..
This really is a huge announcement, just not an obvious one especially to casual fans. Dana White has been great for the company and the sport, there’s no arguing that, but the UFC needs a more business-like frontman.
Look at any of the other major sports leagues. Do you see their president cursing frequently or at all? No. White will still be involved but I suspect Lorenzo will spearhead a lot of official things for the company.
Though it may take some time for the magnitude of this deal to be visible it is a really big announcement in the long term of the UFC and the sport.
I’m not taking anything away from White at all, I’m a fan of just about everything they’ve done. It’s just gotten to a point where the company is so big that they need another visible leader and businessman.
Kris,
I agree with you completely. Additionally it will also be able to free up Dana in a sense and allow him to become more creative and do even more for the UFC and the sport.
I agree with ya Kris. It is a lot bigger deal than everyone thinks. Its not mind blowing to the fans, but it is to the world of MMA on the busness side. Dana is no longer the main man of the UFC. All the Dana haters should be estatic. Lorenzo is a proven business man befor the UFC. He will be able to take the UFC further. Not taking anything away from Dana…he has done WONDERS with the UFC, but its going to continue with Lorenzo.
Plus we really don’t know how much Lorenzo has done behind the scenes. This is a good move, but Dana is going to get slammed by the casual fan.
Kris,
Do you think this has anything to do with some public animosity directed at Dana by some of the talent recently? I like what Dana has done, but also wondered about how his reputation may come into play with future negotiations.
“but the UFC needs a more business-like frontman!”
that`s b.s. …kris. nothing personnel!
yea kind of a thumbs down when you think serra/hughes in ny on spike!
dana has really pulled my lazy ass around for a while! and now he put up july 19 for me!
he has to be sportsman of the year in the mma!
props to u dana!!!!!!! and concrats to Lorenzo Fertitta ! like you Fertitta`s really needed to hear your the man! god bless zuffa!
Rock Ridge – Not taking it personal, just curious why you think it’s BS? Just interested in hearing a little more about your thoughts on why having a businessman at the forefront is a bad idea.
RLT – I think perhaps it’s a combination of a lot of things, including what you mentioned. I think the UFC’s gotten a lot of flack from fighters like Couture and others for a lot of their business being un=documented, like locker room and discretionary bonuses.
I think putting Lorenzo in a major position may be a sign of change that they are really running this like a business and things may be more refined in the future.
Also, as I said before I think they wanted to put another person on equal status with White. If they’re looking for a good interview White is the go to but if you’re putting someone in front of, say, the NY Legislature when they’re voting on regulating MMA it may be a good idea to have Lorenzo there because he brings a different attitude to the table with the same ultimate goal.
It’s hard to put all my thoughts down but I think it comes down to a series of factors that make business sense for Lorenzo to become more involved with the UFC.
to Kris Karkoski
people need to have money to enjoy the ufc on ppv or buying seats! watching on the internet!
its o.k. and i`m thankful but all zuffa`s hard work won`t get them back the investments if people have no money!
dana has got to be backing up his calls with cash!
july 19 has to be teeing off some brass out there in the world!{mostly the trump`s and cable people stock investors!} july 19 is simple dana putting his product because he like to tell people:
f` your ****!
It’s only fair. Affliction gets Trump,UFC gets Lorenzo.
Seriously though, the news is absolutely huge for the UFC, but an announcement of this expected magnitude will always disappoint, you just can’t hype something that heavily and live up to it. While I still consider this “behind the scenes” news, I have to admit I am curious to see what kind of change this brings to the way the UFC operates. Hey, it can’t hurt to have a legitimate mogul on your side full time.
This is a great move for the UFC. Dana seems a little too rough around the edges to handle business with network execs. Besides he travels constantly and obviously needs help.
I think this is just a move to keep Dana from giving off any further bad impressions to the pu$$ies of the world. Too many cry babies are worried about Dana’s vocabulary and arogant attitude. I do think Fertitta will serve as a good new face along side Dana to those critics who thrash the UFC based on Dana White’s personality. As far as the business goes, I don’t know what to think. Why does this better the UFC? What makes this huge? How can any of you tell me Lorenzo will or can do better than Dana has been doing? Was Lorenzo not invovled in the first place? I don’t care if he’s a business man….WTF is that suppose to mean in regards to making the UFC better? F this announcement. I think the Fertittas just want to hear a little less Dana bashing and be a little more involved in day to day business. My prediction is that this announcement will not change much of anything other than the fans getting to know Lorenzo a little better. Yippie! F-n business man!?!……F-n BS joke of an announcement. POS UFC people had all of us so excited for this? I hope my views are wrong.
Kris,
You know for a fact my announcement of midgets and dwarfs would have been 100 times better.
kris,
This definitely seems like a good business move for the UFC. But you can’t blame people for being disappointed after Dana said this announcement would “rock the MMA world.”
That is a major announcement. I never figured they would stay around with it on top. I saw this as a Charles Schwab/ Dell type of thing where the greats leave/sell and the company tanks and they come back later to fix it.
I agree with you Kris, its huge but not for the average fan ,, I am sure just like everyone else thought it was a TV deal of some sort..
I do not think we will notice any difference. Dana is still going to be the face of the UFC and that will not change. Lorenzo is just going to handel the day to day business side of things. The company’s business side will defently get better now that Lorenzo is there but you will not be seeing at events in the same roll as Dana. Its a very smart business move that will help UFC in the long run but there will not be a change in the actual UFC. Other than possible new sponsers.
Kris is right.
It is a money market and a cussing businessman can only bring in so many people, but at the same time he may be keeping some away.
Sure the money comes from the fans but it is all about bringing in more fans.
Imagine if David Stern (comish of NBA) ran around saying F this and F that… How many people would turn off the NBA finals and not watch it because it was his league?
Curtis,
Imagine if David Stern had refs fixing games right under his nose…..That would be terrible…Who cares about someone’s vocabulary? Are you a hardcore Christian? If I turned MMA into what it is today in the States I would not be too concerned with what the average Joe thinks of my speech. Anyone who didn’t want to do business based on the way I speak could F themselves in the ear with a cactus plant. It’s business…..It’s about money. MONEY MONEY MONEY
Curtis,
One last thing. Anyone who doesn’t watch the UFC because of Dana, is a douche and does not like MMA. I hate Bud Selig for turning his head while steroids ran rampant through the MLB and baseball is my favorite sport. I spend $2000 a year on my season tickets for the Giants who get a wrath of $h!t for the steroid era controversey and I still watch. Brian Sabean the GM is a moron and I wish he would drop dead but I still watch. You either like the sport or you don’t is my point. David Stern could F pigs for all I care…….good for him.
It is all about the money…but by acting one way you can only bring in a certain amount of viewers.
True…The 18-34 male demographic loves the sport, but what if they could get more?
I am not saying to prevent Dana from talking the way he does at all.
I am just saying that certain people should handle themselves in more of a professional manner. It has worked for Dana and good on him for that, but not everyone can pull it off.
Stern doesn’t have refs fixing games under his nose…..
You may hate Bud Selig for turning his head, but if it wasn’t for that baseball wouldn’t be what is is today… Attendance, popularity, viewers, and revenue were all down the previous years prior to their home run binge.
I do agree however that you either like the sport or don’t. If you don’t like what is on then you have the right to change the channel.
Curtis,
I am glad we met middle ground on our MMA topic.
David Stern is corrupt. I can’t say anything without being murdered but he was in the whole thing. CORRUPT Mr. Stern! MOB ties and all. Good for him but I wonder how much money he cost me.
This move just indicates how serious the powers at Zuffa are. Station Casinos has alot on their plate in the next 10-20 years. Lorenzo focused on the sport means they are expecting big three sport revenue.
Who really knows what this will all mean in the “next 5 years” but it seems to be a response to the
waves that Affliction/Trump have been causing recently. The UFC/Zuffa feel threatened no doubt about it and are looking to respond before the rival s gain further ground.
I just hope it brings more stacked events – these days 1-2 events a month I can’t get enough of!
I agree 100% Tmoney, disappointing and promising/smart at the same time.
Curtis,
On a side note: You’re right about Selig and the HR deal in the MLB. I am all for steroids in baseball. Personally, I loved seeing Bonds hit countless HRs throughout the years. I know steroids can be harmful but HRs are very nice too see. Especially at AT&T/Pac Bell or whatever the Giants park is called now. I do not want to see the best sluggers hitting barely 25 HRs a year.
In combat sports I am undecided on steroids. If a doctor told me I could take a pill or shoot up a drug that would make me better at my job, make me last longer at my job and make me more money……it would be very hard to turn down. Honesty is the best policy but when you are dealing with money it’s a whole other story.
Performance Enhancers are a rough issue. I am against them because I have seen what they do(Track and Field—Throws). You want to allow a person to make their money but if they are illegally using a substance they should be punished.Side issue…Its funny but if you remove all the expletives and poor syntax Nick Diaz made a reasonable arguement for his use of MJ. But its still illegal.
Ko,
I want to see home run battles! Remember the commercials… Chicks dig the long ball?
The thing about steroids that many don’t understand is just how they help you. Being a Giants fan you understand that before Bonds blew up he was still an amazing ball player. He was an MVP before he went up north. Steroids helped but they did not give him the ability to place the ball on the sweet spot or hit a Randy Johnson slider.
Same in MMA…
Roids aren’t going to help you hit a better armbar, throw a more crisp jab, or have a better sprawl.
How they help is in your conditioning and recovery. Since your body recovers faster you can train harder and come back from injuries in less time ideally putting you in a better position to win.
Good thoughts KO
Dietrich,
In all fairness, marijuana laws are not really enforced where Diaz is from. I am from the SF Bay Area very close to Nick and Nate Diaz. Marijuana is suppose to be illegal but it is not enforced by most police officers. I’ve been caught more times than I can count by the police with marijuana and only got in trouble once. I am not proud of it but I tell you this because it really is not fair to Diaz. He lives day to day under the impression it is no big deal and then gets kicked in the nuts out the blue for it. The poor Diaz brothers live 2hrs away from the best green on Earth…how can they resist? It’s torcher! Illegal? Yes. Big deal? Not where Diaz is from.
I will confess that I never cared about roids in Baseball because I always felt baseball fans were too obsessed with the records. Then when the Mcguire Sosa thing went down I felt too many people were pulling for Mark because he was white.Most Americans should have backed Sosa as more people are poor than the son of a dentist. So when Bonds was there Knocking the stitches out of the ball night after night I just laughed and laughed because the baseball purists hated him(so he must be all right) Then Balco hit.
And Marion Jones and CJ Hunter. Its amazing how easy the media ruined CJ for the sake of protecting Marion when they were the same./ Trust me I have met them. She was never as nice as Nike and Opraha wanted you to buy. Where am I going with this? I don’t know I guess its a never say never on everything but always be sure you understand your position? hat sound like the Cough medicine is working…
Curtis,
Can you imagine if Anderson Silva had the same cream as Bonds? Anderson just might officially become the real life super man. Dana should call up Victor Conte.
Dietrich,
I think I get you. Doesn’t really matter but Bonds’ problems all stem from him being a prick and denying and IRS agent an autograph. Amazing how the things work.
KOuch,
I understand the situation as best as I think I can without having set foot on the west coast.Still incredibily jealous of everyone on PST. I think
1 Eddie Bravo is probably right about alot of what he wrote in his books involving the history.
2 That there are legit medical usages
3 Nick’s supposition for recreational usage after heavy training makes sense.Its his body.
4 The NVSAC was wrong in its overturning of the Gomi fight.
5 The ADHD usage seems logical as well.
Finally I have to say this in support of the Diaz brothers. I have never seen somebody punished as harshly for a sport infraction. Think about this
1 He lost winner purse
2 He was fined and suspended(laid off from work)
3 he was stripped of one of the greatest endings in MMA fight history
4 He couldn’t even corner his kid brother in the TUF finale. That is such bull****.
Yea could you imagine…he is a beast now…
Have you read the book about Balco… Game of Shadows, or something like that? It really tells the entire Balco story! Good read…
Kouch
Yeah you do get it about Bonds and me.My Mother in Law can’t stand me. Why? because her daughter got remarried to me after divorce. That’s a heck of a sand speck to make a pearl with….
take care
D,
Maybe MMA infraction but not sport infraction.
With lifetime bans and Olympic medals stripped is far worse than the loss of a purse or the inability to corner his bro.
In a way I see this a little different than both of you. Diaz knew that he would be testing because he would be fighting. He knew what is considered to be a banned substance by the athletic commission.
Look at Michael Vick, just because it was okay to fight dogs when he was growing up,doesn’t make it legal….. You would be amazed at how many people came to his defense and still wear Vick jerseys today.
A I way off?
Wow, this topic caused quite a stir….maybe it has blown peoples minds…im still picking up parts of my mind haha.
Rock Ridge…where are u from?
Curtis,
I skimmed through Game of Shadows but f those authors. I live 5 minutes from Balco and many of my friends were trained by Greg Anderson. (great guy, got f’d and rolled over on) Victor Conte is a smart guy….That’s all I can say about him. I know a lot about Balco just living near by and hearing gossip/rumors/lies from people involved.
Funny: The UFC announcement was so big we turned this into the MLBs steroid issue.
Dana did cause a stir..look at the comment numbers on this topic. See everyone…Dana doesnt lie! haha. I personally like the guy and being a long time supporter of MMA, he is the MAN of MMA.
Dana is definitely my American Idol.
Ko,
That is pretty funny…HUUUUUGE announcement…
GARBAGE…
WOW WE ALL HAD A FEELING IT WAS A SH*TTY ANNOUNCMENT. THE F8CKING TOY ANNOUNCEMENT WAS BIGGER HA HA
does this mean dana has nothing to do with it any more then?
LOAD OF SH+T TO BE HONEST, DONT THINK IT AFFECTS US FAN I THINK EVERY ONE ON HERE WOULD BE MORE EXCITED TO HER DANA HAD SIGNED RANDY AN FEDOR AND THEY WERE GUNA MEET JULY 19TH,
THINK I SPEAK FOR MOST PEOPLE ON HERE WHEN I SAY WHAT A LOAD OF B U L L S H I T
No, Dana is not out. He and Lorenzo are basically jointly running the UFC whereas Dana had been almost solely doing this before. As I understand it Lorenzo is mainly going to be focused on international expansion.
Kris,
Lorenzo is needed because Dana cannot handle the rapid growth of the UFC. That is what I am getting from you and I agree. Still, not big news….everyone knows the UFC is growing. Dana needed help just like any other human with a million things going on around them. MIDGETS!
Was that insult necessary?
Yea Lorenzo is looking at expansion into Spain, Italy, and Dubai. I have been to all three places and they would all be great for a UFC show.
Everyone – Let’s clean up the comments and promote intelligent discussion. No bashing on fighters, other commenters, this site, promotions etc. will be permitted.
Constructive and respectful criticism of all of the above are always welcome but future comments that do not add to the discussion will swiftly be deleted.
An “official” yet-basic comment policy will be outlined in the coming days so please clean it up now or you’re at risk of being temporarily banned from commenting or permanently banned if you continue to violate this policy.
I’m sorry it’s come to this but as this site grows the conversation gets more and more diluted and this is an effort to keep them more focused.
We will soon be adding forums and potentially user blogs to allow for additional discussion but please take note of the new policies.
Thank you,
Kris Karkoski
MMAFrenzy.com
Kris,
In all fairness, this announcement was so hyped up only to become such a big let down that you should not be surprised by the comments regarding it. I understand about MMA conversation getting diluted but in regards to this specific article you should be very understanding. I felt bad for getting off topic of MMA but also thought it shows the great growth and success of the sport when we start comparing it to the NBA and MLB. I know this is an MMA site but as a legimate sport it’s going to be compared to other sports in discussions. People are going to insult fighters and promotions for a number of reasons and I don’t think it is right to ban people from the site for not liking a certain aspect of MMA. Anyway, your site, your rules……just my opinion.
KOuch – This wasn’t at all directed at talk of other sports. This was mainly focused on the cursing, name calling, etc. I am all for intelligent discussion, even if it is off topic.
What I’m trying to eliminate/warn of are comments that are simply degrading or offer no value.
Like I said earlier, criticism of fighters, promotions, etc. is more than welcome. I am mainly focused on filtering out vulgar and useless comments while letting the actual discussion continue.
To be clear, bans will be used very sparingly and will always be followed by a warning except in the most extreme cases. Currently I let just about every legitimate comment go through and if I don’t I attempt to contact the commenter to make them aware of why something wasn’t approved.
This is only a very-slight increase in the moderation level and is something that is very much needed. Most readers will notice very little change in the number of comments or what is being said, I am just looking to take extra steps to clean the site up a bit.
Kris,
All good. That makes it more clear. I just feared for my existance on MMAFRENZY being I use “f” so often and comment on strange things like midgets and being lost in the forrest having to milk wild boars. Along with that I HATE Gary Shaw…..Anyway, as usual, I love the site, good job and keep it up.
Haha thanks, like I said I’ll be in touch with people if there’s an issue long before I’d ban them. If anyone has questions or comments about the policy feel free to go to mmafrenzy.com/contact/ and send me an email.
It would have been a better if Lorenzo said he was going to fight in the UFC then run it. Wonder if he is doing this because the former owners of Pride are suing the UFC for breach of the buyout by disbanding Pride.
I thought the UFC was suing the former Pride owners. I heard the UFC could not run Pride as a business the way they originally intended to, because of some illegal business practices that the former Pride owner were into….something about being tied to the Japanese Mob or something like that which made it impossible for the UFC to run Pride as Pride so that started trying to individually sign fighters to UFC and WEC contracts. Some fighters signed, but a bunch of fighters didn’t.
I would love to see how Lorenzo would have handled TUF last night.
there are certain things that dana’s no reguard approach works for and there are certain things that it doesnt work for with lorenzo coming in are they equal partners now or is lorenzo demoting dana to have his position. either way we will see how this pans out i am sure that it will be able to make the sport grow faster cause two guys is always better than 1 right??? so we will see i would love to see mma in the olympics one day
Keeping him away from his brother’s corner though.That has to cross over into cruel and unusual punishment.That’s a once and a lifetime thing.NVSAC really crossed the line there…