Dana White Looking to Apply the UFC Model to Boxing
Dana White is coming to make boxing great again.
Earlier this year, the UFC CEO confirmed that he would finally jump into the world of boxing alongside Turki Alalshikh, chairman of the General Entertainment Authority in Saudi Arabia.
Together, they’ll look to change the sport, using White’s UFC model that brought the MMA juggernaut from a fledgling upstart to the multi-billion dollar business it is today.
“The Contender style, I think that I can add a lot of value to the sport and to a lot of these young up-and-comers,” White said during an appearance on The W.A.D.E. Concept. “We did all the groundwork for this thing — television deal, arena deal, production — this is going to be the third biggest fight in history.
“And what I’m focused on is what we want to do in 2026, where we do my own thing with Turki Al-Sheikh, a Contender style series in boxing, where the top, undefeated fighters face each other, making the entire card exciting from the first fight to the last. I promise within a couple of years, you’ll have people tuning in to all the fights from start to finish consistently.”
Canelo vs. Crawford was a huge hit for Dana White and Co.
White’s first foray as a boxing promoter was at this weekend’s massive clash between Canelo Alvarez and Terence Crawford. Emanating from Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, the event was a smashing success, with its reported $47.23 million gate being one of the top three biggest gates in boxing history.
Furthermore, more than 41 million tuned into the fight card on Netflix, making it the most-viewed men’s championship boxing match of the century.
You couldn’t ask for a much better start as a boxing promoter.
