LAS VEGAS – In 2017, Dana White printed a Zuffa Boxing t-shirt and teased his entry into the world of boxing, but public promotion of the venture slowly fizzled out and the shirt may have rotated to the bottom of the drawer.
In the years that followed when asked about crossover, White often highlighted his gripes with boxing and the way he saw the sport run.
In 2024, White might be breaking out the shirt again, even if there are a few wrinkles on it.
Heavily involved as “the HBO” (as he calls himself) of rising young Irish boxer Callum Walsh, White definitively declared, “I’m in,” during a pre-fight Q&A on Thursday in Dublin.
“Every time I get on the phone with these guys, I go, ‘Am I out of my f*cking mind?'” White told reporters, including MMA Junkie, after Tuesday’s Dana White’s Contender Series 73. “It’s just… But I think obviously now is the time, or I would’ve done it (in 2017). I was kicking around. I was even talking about Anthony Joshua at one time and stuff like that. I’m glad I pumped the brakes and we waited. Everything is about timing. Is now the time? We’re going to find out.”
Many specifics White kept close to his chest. There was not detailing of the “who,” “when,” and “where.” But the UFC CEO shed a little more light on the “what” and the “how” as he spoke to reporters at the UFC Apex.
“I have a plan,” White said. “I’m going to implement that plan and we’ll see how that works. … People have been talking about the demise of boxing for 30 years and we’re still here 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’re going to find out. I’m coming in guns blazing.”
Dana White is "coming in guns blazing" to the world of boxing promotion.
"People have been talking about the demise of boxing for 30 years, and we're still talking about boxing right now. I have always had an idea of how it should be done." pic.twitter.com/fvojqJgq0o
— MMA Junkie (@MMAJunkie) September 25, 2024
While he’s worked closely with promoter Tom Loeffler for Walsh’s fights, White indicated he’d be open to working with other promoters – or at least he ones he likes – whether that be Matchroom’s Eddie Hearn, or Queensberry Promotions’ Frank Warren, or someone else.
“I’m sure you can assume the people I would not be working with,” White added. “I don’t think you have to be a f*cking genius to figure that one out.”
White said he’d keep the athletes separate and sounded disgusted at the idea of UFC fighters taking boxing matches between fights.
“God, I hope not,” White said.
As to what he will bring to the table as “the HBO,” White said certain aspects of the UFC that he’s found to be successful he’ll try to mirror.
“There’s a million reasons why now is (the time),” White said. “If you notice as far as boxing, even as much money as Sheikh Turki is throwing into this thing, television deals aren’t really abundant right now. There are just a lot of things I think I can do that other people haven’t done yet.
“… There is obviously a lot of work to do, but what did you notice about (the recent Callum Walsh event)? How fast the fights went? No f*cking podcast between fights. Yeah. So yes, the fights will move faster.”
One of the main differences (in addition to pay structure) between boxing and MMA is promotional competition. While UFC competitors exist, a vast majority of top MMA talent exists in the promotion. In boxing, the crop of the world’s best fighters is spread among dozens of promoters.
White was asked if he’ll try to configure a similar scenario in boxing as he did in MMA, where many top fighters are under contract, making it easier to make big fights. In response, White simply said he thinks the UFC recipe is a working one.
“Well, it’s not like that hasn’t been done before (in boxing),” White said. “There have been dominant promoters before that have had most of the talent locked up. But listen, I think if you asked anybody and even if you asked yourselves, the UFC model works. It works.'”
White pointed to 2025 as to when more details of his delve into boxing will surface, including what athletes besides Walsh that he’ll work with.
