UFC, the brand to beat in mixed martial arts, now legal throughout US

70,000 people at a fight

Parent company Zuffa was reported earlier this month to be in advanced talks to sell the company－valued at between $3.5 and $4 billion－to a Chinese conglomerate.

But White denied the reports as "overblown," adding: "The UFC is not for sale."

The more than 500 fighters the UFC has under contract are independent contractors.

That gives it a big advantage: in traditional major US sports leagues, players belong to unions that are often quite powerful.

UFC does not seem intimidated by its competitors－Bellator MMA, Cage Warriors or M-1－even though media giant Viacom acquired Bellator MMA in 2011.

UFC markets its product very well, managing to lure sponsors and strike a deal in 2014 with sports apparel manufacturer Reebok.

The fame of some UFC stars, led by American Ronda Rousey, has spread outside the octagon, the name given to the area where UFC fighters battle it out.

Big name stars come to watch, such as actor Leonardo DiCaprio and singer Bruno Mars.

And besides the fights themselves, the company now has UFC Gym, a network of workout spots open to the public.

"I think at first females were a little timid to come in because of the name UFC," says Rich Van Houten, who owns a UFC Gym outlet in Jersey City.

But the brand has done a good job of showing it's all about learning a new way to work out and that "you're not gonna get punched in the face," he adds.

UFC says that after TV, sponsorships and sports merchandizing and gyms, the sky is the limit.

It has fights planned for Nov 12 at Madison Square Garden, one of New York's holiest sports arenas.

Lorenzo Fertitta is talking about staging fights at Yankee Stadium in 2017 with 70,000 spectators, which would be a record there.

Then there is the contract for the right to broadcast UFC fights. It expires in 2018.

UFC tells AFP it is the only major championship whose broadcast rights are coming up for grabs before 2021. So interest will be keen.