The UFC’s injury bug and global march is taking a toll on earnings, according to a major credit rating agency. Standard and Poor’s today issued a report announcing UFC parent Zuffa’s EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) is expected to decline 40 percent, 10 percent higher than originally forecasted. The report said the steeper decline is “primarily due to a change to a marquee fight card in the fourth quarter of 2014, a result of another fighter injury causing anticipated pay-per-view buys and event ticket prices to decline further, as well as higher remarketing expenses for the event, and additional costs related to the company’s international expansion.” The fighter injury is not mentioned, though several could qualify for the distinction in a year Zuffa executives have bemoaned as the worst since 2012 for injury withdrawals. This past Saturday’s UFC 180 lost its scheduled headliner when heavyweight champ Cain Velasqeuz withdrew due to knee injury, and next month’s UFC 181 lost a middleweight title bout when champ Chris Weidman injured his hand prior to a meeting with Vitor Belfort. A title fight between welterweight champion Johny Hendricks and Robbie Lawler moved to the main event of that card, with a co-main event lightweight title fight between champ Anthony Pettis and Gilbert Melendez. In August, the promotion was forced to cancel UFC 176 when featherweight champ Jose Aldo injured himself prior to a rematch with Chad Mendes
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S&P revises rating outlook for Zuffa, now says earnings down 40 percent – MMA Junkie