Long before Ari Emmanuel led the charge to acquire the UFC for just over $4 billion, he had already carved out a reputation as one of Hollywood’s most powerful dealmakers, running one of the industry’s largest talent agencies.
Now, Ari Emmanuel is putting his journey on paper. The Endeavor CEO is set to release a new memoir, Roll the Calls, described as “fiery” and “furious,” with a publication date of Sept. 22 through Knopf Doubleday. He co-wrote the book with Pulitzer Prize winner J.R. Moehringer, best known for The Tender Bar.
While many fans today associate Ari Emmanuel with combat sports, his path to the top started far from the Octagon. He began his career in the mailroom at Creative Artists Agency (CAA), another Hollywood heavyweight, before branching out to launch his own firm, Endeavor.
That move changed everything. Emmanuel later merged Endeavor with William Morris, forming a talent agency juggernaut and cementing his status as one of the most influential executives in entertainment. Although he now owns both the UFC and WWE, Emmanuel first entered pop culture in a different way. HBO’s hit series Entourage famously based one of its lead characters on him.
Played by Jeremy Piven, Ari Gold became a viral quote machine during the show’s eight-season run. Emmanuel has openly acknowledged that the character’s sharp edges and aggressive style closely mirrored his own early-career persona.
Before officially buying the UFC, Ari Emmanuel already had deep ties to the promotion. He represented the company during major broadcast negotiations, including its landmark deal with FOX. After the acquisition, he helped guide the UFC to a historic agreement with ESPN and later, in late 2025, finalized a massive $7.7 billion deal to move the promotion to Paramount.
“As a kid, I was often told I’d amount to nothing,” Emmanuel said in a press release announcing the memoir. “Thank God I didn’t listen because I’ve now worked with so many brilliant writers, directors, actors, artists, journalists, entrepreneurs and investors. From them, and from bitter experience, I’ve learned a lot about success and failure, creativity and persistence. Especially persistence.”
“My story is for everyone who feels doubted, and especially for that person who’s been told to give up, just quit. If there’s one major theme, it’s that every time someone tells you to pack it in, you’re not good enough, you should tell that person to f*ck off.”
