Report | The UFC will soon be “a very, very different company”

According to a new report from Dave Meltzer of The Wrestling Observer (via Forbes) the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) will look like a completely different company come the new year (2017).

“Joe Silva and Dave Sholler are the big names to go so far, but they won’t be the last. WME-IMG want to bring in their own people. I’ve been told that by January it will be a very, very different company. A lot of people behind the scenes are worried about their future or looking elsewhere.”

The UFC was purchased by WME-IMG for a whopping $4 Billion earlier this year.

Following the massive transaction, fans have already seen the departure of former UFC staples Joe Silva and most recently Dave Sholler.

The long-time UFC matchmaker, Joe Silva, announced his retirement in September stating that he would be leaving the promotion by the end of the year.

Meanwhile, the head of public relations, Dave Sholler, announced last week that he was leaving the UFC to join the NBA’s Philadelphia 76er’s team.

Joe Silva’s position was quickly filled in house by Sean Shelby, who has served as Silva’s matchmaking partner throughout the years. However, no announcement has been made in regards to who will take over for the Dave Sholler as of this time.

With WME-IMG wanting to bring in their own people, it is safe to assume that more big changes could be coming for the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

One person who will be sticking around under the new ownership group is UFC president Dana White, who signed a five-year deal with WME-IMG shortly after the announcement of the sale.

According to Meltzer, many of the current UFC employees are worried about their future and beginning to look elsewhere for employment.

It will be interesting to see how the new changes and new faces will impact the Ultimate Fighting Championship going forward in 2017.

Stay tuned to BJPENN.com for further updates.