The UFC today announced that it has "sold itself to a group" led by WME-IMG for about $4B. Private equity firms Silver Lake, KKR and the investment firm of billionaire Michael Dell are "backing the deal." Silver Lake and KKR will both "own minority stakes," while Dell's MSD Capital will "own preferred shares" (N.Y. TIMES, 7/11). Sources said that Lorenzo Fertitta will remain as UFC Chair "for 6-8 weeks during the transition but will step down after that." UFC President Dana White will "continue in his role" and will have "a smaller ownership stake" (LASVEGASNOW.com, 7/10).

Jeff Shifrin is leaving his post as Octagon President & COO to become CSM CEO for North America. Operating out of a N.Y. office, he will be primarily tasked with developing London-based CSM's consulting business in the U.S. He begins Aug. 1 and will report to Harlan Stone, CSM Chair for this region. Shifrin and Stone will work closely on the consulting line, but Shifrin also will oversee CSM's other U.S. agencies at JMI and JHE. Shifrin said he was drawn to CSM's "exciting ambition" and that he "relishes his next career challenge."

Shifrin helped build Octagon into a global sports marketing force over the last 18 years, holding the title of President & COO since '05. CSM Group CEO Zak Brown said Shifrin's hire should be seen as an indicator of the agency's commitment to growth in North America.

See today's issue of THE DAILY for more.

The T'Wolves today will announce that 49ers COO Ethan Casson will replace Rob Moor as team CEO. Casson is "familiar with both the Wolves and the Twin Cities, having served a previous stint" from '99-'10 with the T'Wolves, "rising to the level" of Senior VP. Moor "stepped down" from the T'Wolves CEO role on June 17 (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 7/11). Casson was an SBJ Forty Under 40 honoree in '14.

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred this morning will travel to Tijuana, Mexico, as part of planned All-Star Week Legacy projects in the greater San Diego area. The league will unveil renovations at a local Boys & Girls Club of Mexico that represent the first cross-international border project in the history of the All-Star Legacy initiative. The renovations include the creation of a multi-sport recreation area, upgrades to batting and pitching machines and infrastructure improvements to the eight-year-old facility, the first Boys & Girls Club in Mexico. Manfred will be joined by Padres President & CEO Mike Dee, co-Owner Tom Seidler and Tijuana Mayor Jorge Astiazaran.

The day before its All-Star Game, MLB is breaking a marketing campaign behind next year's World Baseball Classic. Spots running during tonight's Home Run Derby on ESPN and tomorrow's All-Star Game on Fox will be in English and Spanish, and they also will be available on digital and social platforms. The ads, which feature music by Australian singer Sia, depict various top players in uniform for their native countries with the tagline, "Country, Pride & Glory."

Yesterday’s MLB Futures Game and Celebrity Softball Game in San Diego drew an announced paid attendance of 40,238 and was listed as a sellout. Petco Park was about two-thirds full, marking likely one of the largest actual turnouts in the 17-year history of the event. The Futures Game, featuring minor-league all-stars, historically has been by far the weakest draw of MLB All-Star festivities and in many years saw large numbers of no-shows among ticketholders. But the Futures Game has seen marked growth in recent years and better attendance as farm-system development has become more important. The host club Padres had three of their prospects in the game.

New Era is opening a branded store at L.A. Live under a founding sponsorship agreement it has signed with AEG. The 3,160-square-foot New Era D-Lab store is scheduled to open in the Staples Center on Dec. 1, and it will include a variety of customization options for customers. Under the deal, New Era becomes the exclusive headwear provider at L.A. Live.

The Canadiens today are "expected to make official that they will move" their AHL affiliate, now operating in St. John’s, N.F., as the IceCaps, to the Montreal suburb of Laval, Que., "for the beginning" of the '17-18 season. There "had been questions about whether a new rink" in Laval – Place Bell – "would be ready for the fall" of '17 (St. John's TELEGRAM, 7/9).

Meanwhile, Broome County (N.Y.) officials confirmed that the AHL Binghamton Senators are "heading north" in '17. Sources said that Belleville, Ont., "is the destination." Belleville is "inking stipulations in the deal to either give the municipality some sort of stakeholders’ interest or equity in the team that doesn’t necessarily carry the weight or responsibility of ownership" (Belleville INTELLIGENCER, 7/9).

The company that runs the Eiffel Tower said that the landmark was closed today "following clashes before and during" yesterday's Euro 2016 final between Portugal and France. Police said that "about 40 arrests were made in the area and around the Stade de France where the last game was played." Still, France made it "safely through the monthlong tournament that drew fans from all over Europe while in a state of emergency and on high alert for Islamic extremist attacks" (AP, 7/11).

Sports business execs at the '16 Thought Leaders Retreat addressed this question: What is the biggest issue facing sports?

The SEC's football media days kick off today at the Wynfrey Hotel in Hoover, Ala. The four-day event features each SEC head coach, three players from each team, Commissioner Greg Sankey and a "radio row that resembles the one created prior to every Super Bowl" (BLEACHERREPORT.com, 7/8).

A decision on Maria Sharapova's appeal of her two-year doping ban has "been postponed until September, ruling her definitively out" of the Rio Games (AP, 7/11).

The '16 MLB All-Star Week Pepsi Block Party "started Sunday morning, drawing thousands to downtown near Petco Park." The crowd "started building before noon, and within a half-hour many attractions had long lines" (SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE, 7/11).

Argentine basketball club San Lorenzo will face the Raptors in a preseason game on Oct. 14 at Air Canada Centre. It will mark the first time a team from Argentina has faced an NBA opponent. An official announcement of the game is expected to be made today (LA NACION, 7/8).

The final day of the U.S. Olympic Track & Field Trials yesterday drew "a Hayward Field-record crowd of 22,944" (Eugene REGISTER-GUARD, 7/11).

Univision Deportes runs a full-page ad in the N.Y. TIMES touting the fact that it "beat every other sports cable network in the country" during the month of June and featuring imagery from Chile's Copa America victory (THE DAILY).

A full-page ad in USA TODAY promotes tonight's MLB Home Run Derby on ESPN and features the competition bracket (THE DAILY).

"Look at what this is going to do for the NBA. Everywhere the Warriors go, they will sell out. You'll want to see Cleveland on TV. You want to see exciting teams on television" – Basketball HOFer Oscar Robertson, on F Kevin Durant joining the Warriors (N.Y. TIMES, 7/11).

“It’s hard to watch. Unless you’re from Portugal, it’s hard for you to accept that this is the best football that a European nation can produce” – ESPN’s Shaka Hislip, on the defensive style of play Portugal used to win the Euro '16 tournament (“ESPN FC,” ESPN2, 7/11).

The L.A. DAILY NEWS profiles Boyd Robertson, who for the past 28 years has been Dodgers broadcaster Vin Scully's "self-appointed information middleman/security blanket/work wife/gatekeeper/sidekick for every situation imaginable."

The OMAHA WORLD-HERALD explores "college baseball's money problem." Tuition "continues to rise, but the Division I scholarship limit of 11.7 doesn't budge."

Also:

• In Dallas, sports have proven vital to healing process amid tragedy.
• Illinois AD Josh Whitman has shown himself to be a driven leader.
• Yard Goats watch season slip away as ballpark remains unfinished.

Super job by MLB Network for promoting Fidrych documentary at 10 eastern only to have this snoozer young stars game push it back

— Adrian Dater (@adater) July 11, 2016

kudos @danawhite, UFC's explosive growth in recent years is one of the most impressive stories in #sportsbiz https://t.co/IR5XlpCaj2

— Jim Delaney (@activate) July 11, 2016

Congrats to @Sam_Barrington_ on receiving the President's Volunteer Service Award. He continues to represent Green Bay & the NFL with class

— Aaron Nagler (@AaronNagler) July 11, 2016

Thank u @RSherman_25 for allowing me to participate in your charity Softball event before some of the @nfl best fans @Seahawks #Truth

— Deion Sanders (@DeionSanders) July 11, 2016

The Bruins begin their first-ever trip to China, which will include stops in Beijing and Shanghai. The trip runs through July 23.

Friday night’s “Final Jeopardy!” category was “Transportation.”

“The Trans-Siberian Railway, one of the world’s longest, spans 5,770 miles from Moscow to this port city on the Sea of Japan.”

“What is Vladivostok?”