LAS VEGAS — We’re learning more about UFC boss Dana White’s vision for boxing, and who he will be working with to implement his grand plan for the sport.
World Boxing News lead writer Alan Dawson has spoken to White for years in Las Vegas about whether he’d buy or create a boxing promotion, and if he’d partner with Turki Alalshikh for the rumored Riyadh Season league in 2025.
Though White is reluctant to talk about a project he said he’ll officially announce in the coming months, he shared more information with WBN on Tuesday than ever before about what his boxing venture could look like.
“I did my first fight in Ireland,” said White to WBN and other media, referring to the Callum Walsh event in Dublin last week, “and we’ll start announcing stuff here beginning in 2025.”
TKO Group, which operates UFC and WWE, has space for a boxing business under its umbrella. White confirmed that to us in 2023.
He said this week that he wants to be the HBO of boxing, envisages working with 360 Promotions founder Tom Loeffler, and Matchroom boss Eddie Hearn, and told us he’s aware about the differences between MMA promotion and boxing particularly when it comes to fighter pay.
Eddie Hearn told GIVEMESPORT earlier this year that there were differences in the way that UFC and boxing does business, though, and that White may struggle to overcome that.
Hearn appeared to be referencing how UFC is in charge of matchmaking and who fights who, rather than boxers having a say once they reach a certain level of stardom.
There are also greater financial incentives for boxers over mixed martial artists, as fighters like Canelo, and Gervonta Davis, negotiate the back-end on pay-per-view — and even a share of the gate.
“Eddie Hearn is dead on,” White told WBN. “I absolutely agree with everything that he said. I have a plan, I’m going to implement that plan, and we’ll see how this thing works.”
He continued: “People have been talking about the demise of boxing for 30 years yet here we are still talking about boxing right now. I have always had an idea of how I thought it should be done. I don’t know if that’s possible but we’ll find out. I’m coming in all guns blazing.”
Other information White shared with us regarded the real estate that UFC owns in Las Vegas. They have their headquarters, the Performance Institute which is a state-of-the-art training, recovery, and nutrition center, as well as Apex, which is a studio fit for TV production. WBN understands the UFC also owns neighboring land so there is room to grow the facilities it has at its disposal.
“I’ll build the offices [for TKO Group’s boxing business] right here at the Apex,” White told us. “The offices will be here. We’re already doing construction here and I’m planning to build all the infrastructure here at the Apex.”
We asked him whether boxers that UFC signs will have access to the Performance Institute (PI).
WBN has observed Terence Crawford and Deontay Wilder at the PI in recent years, as well as athletes in non-combat sports like WNBA sides, as well as NFL players. The difference between those athletes and UFC fighters is that they’d have to pay for the sports sciences and benefits available to them at the PI. UFC fighters, meanwhile, get it all for free as part of being on the roster. If they chose to, they could have an entire meal plan tailored to their specific needs, and eat three times a day there, and wouldn’t pay a dime.
“Even slap fighters have access to it,” White said. “Anybody under contract has access to the PI.”
There is then the question as to whether White, who is busy with UFC, Contender Series, The Ultimate Fighter, Power Slap, and more, has time to head up a boxing division. It’s likely there’ll be another figurehead at the company to do this for him, or figureheads.
Hearn told GIVEMESPORT that he thinks White would want to work with him. White has spoken glowingly about Tom Loeffler to WBN in the last year, though, and Loeffler is lead promoter on 360 Promotions shows which have a broadcast deal with UFC Fight Pass.
Interestingly, White suggested they’ll work with them both, as well as others.
“Listen, I like Eddie Hearn very much. He came to The Sphere fight before the Canelo fight started. I have a great relationship with him, with the Warrens, obviously I love Tom Loeffler and his matchmaking, and what he does. I would probably be working with a lot of people.
“I’m sure you can assume the people I won’t be working with. You don’t have to be a genius to figure that one out. But I like Eddie Hearn a lot, and would love to work with Eddie Hearn.”
With White in the mood to divulge information, WBN asked him if he’ll be working with boxers outside of Callum Walsh over the next six to 12 months, and he said yes.
We asked if one of those boxers could be Crawford, and observed a smile on White’s face.
“I like Terence, too,” he said. “I will let you know the plan when everything’s done.”
One thing that’s not likely to happen is seeing UFC fighters in this boxing business. Though there has been crossover in the past, with Conor McGregor, Francis Ngannou, and Sean O’Malley presently wanting to do it, too, White shut it down, saying: “God, I hope not.”
On what the entire plan might look like, with Loeffler promoting, and himself broadcasting, he said: “I will definitely be HBO.”
We’ll know more about the venture early 2025.
Alan Dawson is World Boxing News Lead Writer, a 2 x Sports Journalist of the Year finalist, and 5 x BWAA awards winner. Follow Alan @AlanDawsonSport.
