Shane McMahon wanted to buy UFC multiple times in his career but Vince stopped him
Shane McMahon has one of the sharpest minds in the sports and entertainment business. His success in other businesses over the years is a clear indicator of that.
The former European Champion may now be a seasoned businessman. However, his acumen for the trade was seen a long time ago, especially when it came to predicting businesses that would do well in the future.
The UFC, one of the biggest combat sports promotions in the world, was founded in 1993. Seeing its success today, many will be shocked to know that the company was struggling financially back then.
At the start of the century, Dana White was looking for someone to buy the company. Many people rejected the offer until it was bought by real-life friends, the Fertitta brothers, for $2 million. However, while speaking to Big Boy TV, White revealed Shane McMahon was interested in purchasing the company.
"Vince McMahon, from what I hear, his son Shane wanted to buy the UFC. Vince had the opportunity to buy it. And Vince said, 'Yeah. No. We're not gonna buy it.' Vince could have bought this thing and just put it on the shelf. Or Vince could have bought it and let his son [run it]."
Watch White discuss the topic at 28:00 in the video below:
Back then, MMA was niche and not what it is today. Vince McMahon finally turned down Shane McMahon's suggestion. In 2009, Shane McMahon went back to Vince McMahon, this time to be an investor in the UFC; however, that was turned down too. The company was then bought by Endavour Group in 2016 for $4.025 billion.
Will Shane McMahon return to the WWE?
It's been a few years since Shane McMahon was seen full-time in the WWE. He made a guest appearance at WrestleMania 39 earlier this year and unfortunately suffered a quad injury. Since leaving the WWE full-time, it is believed Shane-O-Mac continues to work in the other businesses he is a part of.
With the formation of the TKO, many changes were rumored to take place. One change rumored to happen was the return of Shane-O-Mac. Mike Johnson from PWInsider has an answer for us regarding this situation.
"Nothing that I have heard. I don’t see it happening anytime soon, certainly not before Endeavor acquires WWE."
There are also rumors online that if McMahon returns to the company with any kind of control, the current Chief Content Officer, Triple H, would be happy to move on and pursue other ventures.