Lorenzo Fertitta

CEO, Ultimate Fighting Championship

On January 15, 2013, UFC CEO Lorenzo Fertitta discussed the state of UFC while also providing insight as to where he sees the organization, as well as mixed martial arts, headed in the years to come.

Biography:

Lorenzo J. Fertitta is the Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and co-owner of the assets of Zuffa, LLC, which owns and operates the premier mixed martial arts (MMA) organization the Ultimate Fighting Championship® (UFC®), as well as the STRIKEFORCE organization, and PRIDE FC and WEC brands.

In January 2001 Fertitta, along with his brother Frank Fertitta III and high school friend Dana White, formed Zuffa, LLC and acquired the assets relating to the UFC brand. Since then, Fertitta has been actively involved in company leadership, development and success. As Zuffa Chairman and CEO, Fertitta oversees all company operations including marketing, production, legal and finance. He also directs planning and operations for the ongoing global expansion of the UFC brand.

Before the Zuffa acquisition, MMA was a fringe attraction, largely unregulated and unable to appear even on Pay-Per-View platforms. Within a decade, Zuffa had taken the UFC from its spectacle roots to the fastest growing sports organization in history, shattering box office and attendance records across the US, Canada, Europe, the Middle East, Far East and Australia. In 2006, the UFC overtook the boxing industry as the world’s biggest provider of Pay-Per-View events and, in 2011, the UFC burst into the mainstream with a landmark seven-year broadcast agreement with the FOX Sports Media Group, with over nine million Americans tuning into a FOX televised UFC heavyweight title fight in November 2011.

Under Fertitta’s guidance, Zuffa spearheaded the regulatory effort for the sport of MMA, gaining approval and sanction from the world’s most prestigious regulatory bodies including the Nevada, California, Massachusetts, Illinois and New South Wales (Australia) State Athletic Commissions. Largely due to Zuffa’s efforts, by January 2012, of the 47 US states which have Athletic Commissions, 45 approve and regulate mixed martial arts, and legislation is pending in the remaining two, Connecticut and New York.

In March 2012, the UFC’s long-running and enormously successful The Ultimate Fighter® reality TV series debuted its exciting new live format on the FX network. UFC programming can be seen on some form of television in more than 149 countries and territories - and in 20 different languages - in almost a billion homes worldwide.

From June 2000 to 2008, Lorenzo served as President of Station Casinos, one of the largest gaming companies in the United States. Station Casinos employs 13,000 team members and is the leading provider of gaming and entertainment to Las Vegas area residents. Station Casinos’ 17 properties are regional entertainment destinations that feature various amenities including restaurants, entertainment venues, movie theaters, bowling and convention/banquet space, as well as traditional casino gaming offerings such as video poker, slot machines, table games, bingo and race and sports book wagering.

Before becoming President of Station Casinos in June 2000, Lorenzo was President and Chief Executive Officer of Fertitta Enterprises, Inc., a private investment firm that owns and manages securities, real estate and other business ventures. In 1995, he acquired controlling interest in the Gordon Biersch Brewing Company, Inc., and, in 1997, became its President and Chief Executive Officer.

From 1996 until July 2000, Lorenzo was a member of the Nevada State Athletic Commission, the sanctioning body responsible for the management and control of all combative sporting events held within the State of Nevada. In 1999, he was appointed Vice-Chair, becoming the youngest person in the Commission's history to hold that title.

Lorenzo retains his position as Vice Chairman of Station Casinos, LLC. with Frank Fertitta III operating as Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer as well as continues to serve as majority owner of the Company with his brother Frank. He is also a principal owner and member of the Board of Directors of Gordon Biersch Brewing Company, Inc. He earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the University of San Diego and a Masters of Business Administration degree from the Leonard N. Stern School of Business at New York University.

Lorenzo is 43 and resides in Las Vegas with his wife and their three children.