UFC co-Owner Lorenzo Fertitta in his most extensive public comments since reports emerged of a possible sale of the promotion said that he "won't divulge exactly what's transpiring," according to Lance Pugmire of the L.A. TIMES. Fertitta: "This is standard. Any company, this size and magnitude, you don’t talk about things you’re working on in strategical terms. So there’s nothing to report." Pugmire notes the initial report suggested that a group including WME-IMG, a Chinese entity and the Kraft family as a possible buyer for the UFC. Fertitta: "If we bring on an investor or something happens, we’ll let everyone know." He added, "I still have massive love for the sport. I never said I was walking away." UFC President Dana White was "slightly more forthcoming, wondering why an ESPN.com reporter who first broached an outright sale 'has gone radio silent,' and calling another who said the sale would be finalized soon as 'not credible'" (L.A. TIMES, 7/6).
BROCK IN A HARD PLACE: YAHOO SPORTS' Kevin Iole noted Brock Lesnar will return to fight Mark Hunt in the co-main event of UFC 200 at T-Mobile Arena on Saturday, and the event is "tracking to become the biggest in the promotion's history." Lesnar is "taking a risk by coming back." If he loses, it will be "three losses in a row, but this one will come with no excuses." He is not sure if this return "is a one-time thing or a semi-regular occurrence." Still, his appeal "may even be more widespread than it was the first time around." He is "taking a considerable risk to do what he loves" (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 7/5).
