Disney Considered Buying UFC in 2016

Back in 2016, Disney nearly purchased UFC, shortly before it was bought by Endeavor and a group of investors for over $4 billion.

Now the entertainment conglomerate could seek to purchase the fighting league or another high-value sports property.

As media rights rise in cost, streaming giants may look to acquire leagues to keep costs down, according to CNBC, which also mentioned WWE and Formula 1 as potential targets, should any become available. 

In other UFC news, the promotion will begin paying its athletes bonuses in cryptocurrency.

In addition to the league’s standard cash bonuses, the top three fighters, as determined by fan votes, will win a total of $60,000 in bitcoin at each pay-per-view event.

UFC signed a 10-year, $175 million sponsorship deal with Crypto.com last year.