Dana White & Co. are currently enjoying the success and prosperity of their labor, having built the UFC brick by brick into a billion-dollar powerhouse. This achievement comes thanks to the CEO, who is not just an ordinary promoter but has emerged as an “entrepreneur.” Prominent figures like Donald Trump and Mark Zuckerberg have praised his mindset, recognizing him as one of the best promoters in the business.
However, critics continue to challenge Dana White, one of whom includes Jake Paul, who has labeled White as a “capitalist” for depriving his fighters of good pay. Despite this, Dana White is already expanding his influence into multiple ventures. Recently, the UFC CEO returned to the boxing world under the new Zuffa Boxing league, thanks to the backing from TKO and the Saudis. Nearly eight years after Conor McGregor faced Floyd Mayweather, Dana White will be the promoter behind the Canelo vs. Crawford super fight this September. Yet, the potential payout for the boxers in his new league remains a note of concern since boxers traditionally make considerably more than the average UFC fighter. So, with the advent of the new promotion, will Dana White pay the UFC fighters as well as the boxers, or will he show bias between MMA and boxing?
Well, we have a former UFC star who had his own verdict to share regarding the issue. Former welterweight title contender Darren Till, after his departure from Dana White’s company in 2023, has found a new home in KSI’s Misfits Boxing as a crossover boxing star. Ahead of his boxing match against fellow UFC star Luke Rockhold on August 30 in Manchester, the 32-year-old spoke to ‘Second Out’ on a few different topics, one of which included the UFC CEO’s own foray into boxing. When asked about Dana White & TKO’s reported fight structure pay for the new boxing league, ‘The Gorilla’ first praised Dana White, calling him a “phenomenal promoter.”
However, when questioned about the “pay structure,” problems the boxing promotion might face in the future, Darren Till reflected on his own experience with Dana White & Co., saying, “Look, everyone knows there’s a bit of a problem with the pay structure, but it’s like, I don’t know. It’s hard to say, you know. The pay wasn’t the greatest when I was there and stuff like that, so I don’t know. Might be a bit of a problem.” Having had experience in both worlds, it isn’t wrong for Till to believe that there may be problems that may emerge as more details are revealed about the new boxing promotion.
April 9, 2022, Jacksonville, Florida, JACKSONVILLE, FL, United States: JACKSONVILLE, FL – April 9: R-L Khamzat Chimaev punches Gilbert Burns in their welterweight bout at Vystar Memorial Arena for UFC 273: Volkanovski v The Korean event on April 9, 2022 in Jacksonville, Florida, United States. Jacksonville, Florida United States – ZUMAp175 20220409_zsa_p175_221 Copyright: xLouisxGrassex
Darren Till currently holds a professional MMA record of 18-5-1 and spent almost eight years competing under Dana White’s promotion, fighting in both the welterweight and middleweight divisions. After rising through the welterweight ranks, the Liverpudlian made a move up to 185 pounds. However, his performance at middleweight did not match his earlier success. He went 1-5 in his last six fights in the UFC, which ultimately made him step down in early 2023 to explore interests outside of MMA.
Despite this, Darren Till’s UFC career was not without its highlights. It forged a lifelong friendship with UFC middleweight star Khamzat Chimaev, who is also set to face his biggest battle this month at UFC 319. The two became close friends and even trained together for some time before their careers took them in different directions.
Darren Till speaks on his absence from Khamzat Chimaev’s camp before UFC 319
The friendship between Khamzat Chimaev and Darren Till has transformed from rivalry to camaraderie within the UFC. During his time in the organization, ‘The Gorilla’ viewed Chimaev as a rival. However, after Till’s loss to Derek Brunson, ‘Borz’ began praising the Liverpudlian for his skills despite that setback. Following Till’s departure from the UFC, Chimaev invited him to Stockholm, Sweden, to train together for a period. They even trained at the All Stars gym, where their relationship grew stronger, and they came to call themselves the “smesh bros.”
Since then, the two have gone their separate ways, with Khamzat Chimaev even changing gyms for various reasons. Many anticipated that Darren Till would join Chimaev’s camp, especially as several top fighters rallied behind ‘Borz’—the so-called Chechnya wolf—to help establish him as the middleweight division’s next face. However, Till has his own priorities, with his next fight scheduled for August 30 in Manchester against Luke Rockhold, marking his fourth boxing match.
Regarding his absence from Khamzat Chimaev’s camp, Darren Till said, “Khamzat, that’s my friend, and I want him to be champion, but no. Why would I leave my camp to go help someone else in another camp? Makes no sense at all. He asked me to get involved. I said if I didn’t have a fight, I would because I love him dearly. He’s a f—ing great guy. I want him to be champion. I do wholeheartedly want him to be champion. Want him to beat Dricus. Get that loss back for me.”
There’s no doubt the two friends wish each other well and continue to keep in touch. It’s possible that in the future we might see Darren Till training alongside Khamzat Chimaev again, especially as ‘The Gorilla’ hinted in the interview with ‘Seconds Out’ about a potential UFC return—that is, if the money he receives from Dana White & Co. is “enough money.”
The post Khamzat Chimaev’s Ex-Teammate Exposes Major Loophole in Dana White’s Boxing Vision as UFC Fighters Struggle appeared first on EssentiallySports.
