UFC owner Ari Emanuel confuses Zhang Weili for ‘Chinese champion Li Na’
- UFC owners go public on New York Stock Exchange after battling through Covid-19 as Ari Emanuel points to success in China
- ‘China is going to be bigger than ever,’ he says, ‘there was over a billion video views out of China’ for UFC 261 where Zhang lost belt to Rose Namajunas
The CEO of the company that owns UFC, Endeavor, appears confused as to who China’s former strawweight champion Zhang Weili is, after claiming Li Na was the “Chinese champion”.
In an interview with CNBC ahead of Endeavor going public on the New York Stock Exchange on Thursday, CEO Ari Emanuel explained the UFC’s success during the Covid-19 pandemic and the return of fans for the first time since the outbreak at UFC 261 last weekend.
“Now with the reopening, you just saw we had live audiences for the first time. In Houston we’re going to have a live audience. In July we’re having another live audience. Our direct to consumer business on Fight Pass is up 40 per cent. Our commercial numbers and marketing numbers are up. China is going to be bigger than ever.
“Actually, because of the fight – even though our Chinese champion lost, Li Na – there was over a billion video views out of China.”
Presumably rather than reference two-time grand slam champion and tennis hall of famer Li Na, Emanuel meant to say Zhang, who was beaten in her title fight against former champion Rose Namajunas.