UFC Owners Cut Ties With Saudi Arabia, Return $400 Million Investment

The parent company of the UFC has cut ties with Saudi Arabia, returning a $400 million investment from the company. Yahoo! Sports reports that Endeavor, the talent company co-headed by Ari Emanuel, decided to return the investment in response to the murder of Jamal Khashoggi last year by Saudi nationals connected to the government. The investment had been given by the Saudi Public Investment fund and was intended to help Endeavor expand.

The site reports that Endeavor began moving toward returning the investment last year, immediately after the country was implicated in the murder. The company has now completely severed the relationship with the country and has reached out to other investors to make up the lost funds.

In addition, Emanuel has begun traveling with bodyguards out of potential concern that there may be some retaliation from Saudi Arabia.