Given what he revealed at Madison Square Garden, it seems Dana White is staring at a blank page. The plotline is available, but he’s struggling to figure out ‘where to begin.’ It’s been a few days since the UFC president formally entered the world of boxing. Representing TKO Holdings, which owns UFC and WWE, White joined hands with Turki Alalshikh to launch a new boxing promotion.
Specific and in-depth details about the project remain scarce. Hence, speculations are rife – how’s the league going to function? what will be the format or the structure? While Alalshikh had previously mentioned that the sport is ‘broken,’ to fix the problems, Dana White suggested a ‘ground-up’ approach. The TKO boxing wants to set an example. But what’s the priority fix? Even for Dana White, perhaps it’s too early to say. At the UFC Fight Pass, a few reporters caught up with the UFC president.
Dana White contemplates the starting point
As he watched rising prospect Callum Walsh march away with an impressive win, a reporter asked, “Dana what’s the biggest thing you want to fix in boxing? What’s the biggest problem that you can fix?” The poser clearly had him thinking deep. With a smile he reflected, “Ah, where do you begin?” Boxing has so many issues to deal with. Even for veterans, it’s an uphill task to pick any one in particular and address it first.
SHANGHAI, CHINA – JUNE 20: Dana White, UFC President gives a speech during 2019 UFC Performance Institute Panel and UFC Fight Night Shenzhen Press Conference at UFC Performance Institute Shanghai on June 20, 2019 in Shanghai, China. (Photo by Yifan Ding/Getty Images)
But Dana White seems to have a preference. It’s the frequent issue of the ‘best not fighting the best.’ He said, “Uh, probably you know the best, fighting the best…start there.” A few minutes later, pondering over the rumors that TKO will take over the upcoming mega fight between ‘Canelo’ Alvarez and Terence Crawford, Dana White clarified, “Well, listen, my model is way different. Turki has things that he’s, uh, obligated to over the next 18 months. I want to break the sport down and build it from the ground up like we did the UFC, so I’m on a different path.”
With many champions trying to maintain a spotless record, the attempt invariably results in avoiding the contemporary best, both within and without the division. Especially in recent times, it’s become a pattern. Then there’s the money part. Whether fighting ‘A’ reaps any monetary benefits. If not, then most of the time the fight gets a pass. Otherwise, fans would have already seen a ‘Canelo’ Alvarez versus David Benavidez or Terence Crawford versus Jaron Ennis.
The list is extensive
Matching the UFC, the new boxing promotion may likely adopt an eight-weight-class format. The ‘Tweener’ weight classes. i.e., the ones that fall between the major weight divisions will no longer come into play.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MARCH 01: Gervonta Davis takes a knee in the middle of round nine due to the grease in his braids dripped into his eyes against Lamont Roach Jr. during their bout for Davis’ WBA lightweight title at Barclays Center on March 01, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
There are many more issues. There’s inconsistent judging and refereeing. The recent Gervonta Davis–Lamont Roach Jr. fight remains a glaring example. Keeping aside the erroneous referring, the scorecards further cemented the belief that a lot needs to be fixed in the sweet science.
Since he’s just getting started, Dana White has a lot on his plate to handle. As time passes, more clarity will emerge. Then he may prioritize the area where the boxing league needs to take a lead and inspire others. After all, he’s the man who took over the UFC when it was just a step away from closure and turned it into a $12 billion behemoth.
If you could suggest, then what will be the first boxing problem Dana White should look into?
The post Dana White Doesn’t Know ‘Where to Begin’ When Confronted With the Biggest Problem UFC CEO Wants to Fix in Boxing appeared first on EssentiallySports.
