Mark Shapiro Says Vince McMahon Only Wanted UFC As Part Of TKO Merger, PBR Was Never Involved

Vince McMahon didn't want PBR as part of TKO.

In April 2023, WWE announced that they had agreed to a deal with Endeavor that would see WWE and UFC merge to form a new company called TKO. The deal became official in September 2023.

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Endeavor also owns Professional Bull Riders (PBR), but the brand was not included in the deal.

"With regard to PBR specifically, that was just never in the cards. We were negotiating with Vince McMahon at the time. From day one, he was only open to doing this merger, if you will, if it was these two properties. Period, end of story. There was no discussion on PBR. That’s the reason why that happened," TKO President Mark Shapiro said on the TKO second quarter 2024 financials call when asked why PBR wasn't part of the deal.

McMahon resigned from his position as TKO Executive Chairman in January 2024 after a lawsuit was filed against him and WWE by former employee Janel Grant, who accused McMahon of sexual assault and sex trafficking.

Fans can learn more about the lawsuit by clicking here.

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