UFC prepares for departure of Silva, Maynard in, Shelby up

The two most powerful people in mixed martial arts over the past decade are widely considered to be Dana White and Lorenzo Fertitta. With the sale of the UFC for $4,000,000,000 and change, Fertitta left the company. Senior vice president for talent relations reportedly got a profit share so generous his departure is imminent.

“Joe Silva’s contributions to the UFC over the last 20 years were huge, and he played a big role in helping make the sport as big as it is today,” said UFC president Dana White in a release. “He left his mark on this sport and I wish him nothing but success in retirement.”

The loss of both Silva and Fertitta is huge.

When the number of divisions expanded, Silva brought in Sean Shelby to handle all divisions, men and women, at 145 and below. Shelby is being promoted to Senior VP, and former Legacy FC owner Mick Maynard is replacing Shelby’s old role of VP for talent relations.

It is not known if Shelby will continue in the divisions he has traditionally handled, switch to Silva’s lightweight and up, and or some combination. Regardless of how the work is divided, the workload is enormous.

Maynard’s Legacy FC sent a number of fighters to the UFC, including Henry Cejudo, Holly Holm,Sage Northcutt, and Valentina Shevchenko. His old promotion has now merged with Ressurection Fighting Alliance, and will be called Legacy Fighting Alliance.

“I’m excited to have Mick on board working alongside Sean,” said White. “Mick has become one of the most respected people in the fight game and he’s done a great job in finding and developing talent. Sean has been a tremendous asset to the UFC for a long time, and I look forward to working with Sean and Mick in the years to come.”

Maynard may already be working – he appeared on stage during the UFC 203 weigh-ins on September 10.

“This is an incredible opportunity for me,” said Maynard. “I’m looking forward to delivering the action-packed, exciting fights that UFC fans have come to expect.”