“You Could Have Fixed It”: UFC Boss Dana White Accuses Bob Arum of ‘Stripping Money’ Out of Boxing for 58-Years

There goes Dana White again. So who’s the target this time? It’s the grand old man of boxing, Bob Arum. A few days ago, fans saw the UFC president spill the beans on his long feud with Oscar De La Hoya. It appears White has some scores to settle with the Top Rank honcho as well.

It’s been some time. Fans and experts have increasingly started questioning the way different combat sports are run across platforms. So differences of opinion on how things are usually handled abound. Pertinent questions about what is right and what is wrong quickly emerge. Dana White was speaking with Oscar Willis in the lead-up to the Alex Pereira–Jiri Prochazka rematch headlining at UFC 303.

Behind the scenes: Dana White assesses Bob Arum’s influence in boxing

Interestingly, Dana White’s criticism actually began on a good note. With the upcoming UFC card, the conversation soon converged on boxing. The UFC president spoke at length about his profound respect for His Excellency Turki Alalshikh. He appeared quite impressed by how the latter’s presence has been a game-changer for the sport.

He lauded HE Alalshikh for bringing about fights that no one else could. But the conversation soon took on an entirely different hue when the reporter asked him, “But doesn’t it just show The Other Guys in boxing like you guys could have been doing this already? You could have sealed up the whole game if you really tried, but you wanted to keep your guy undefeated, so on.”

Dana White took some time sifting through names he wanted to talk about. Finally, he zeroed in on one. Bob Arum. The UFC president recalled the Top Rank boss reportedly saying, “This guy, you know he’s a dumb guy. He’s this and that, and everything else. Look at how long Arum’s been in the game, right? Guy’s in his f**king 90s. I respect the fact that he’s still, I mean, that guy flew out to Saudi Arabia, went to England, did all the sh*t got to respect that part of his game.”

However, in his view, Bob Arum, despite his self-belief that he is very intelligent, hasn’t done much for boxing apart from enriching himself. but that shouldn’t be the right course of action. He (Bob Arum) “has f**king nothing; he’s created nothing thing always just f**king stripping money out of never invested back into the f**king sport.”

Arum can go around and blame others for ‘playing by different rules’, White said. But the fact remains: the latter stressed, “You could have f**king fixed it; you had no f**king vision for the sport; you had nothing you’re you’re not as smart as you think you are, Bob Arum.” So the UFC boss clearly lamented the way all such personalities spoiled the sport for so many years.

Earlier rounds: Dana White vs. Oscar De La Hoya

It will not be the first time, though, that Dana White goes against a boxing promoter. Most of the fans wouldn’t have forgotten the beef he has with Oscar De La Hoya. Reportedly, they were initially friends. But the differences between the two soon spilled out in the open. Their squabble continues to this day.

Speaking with Shannon Sharpe, Dana White called De La Hoya ‘a f**king is a two-faced lying f**king nut job’. He stated that things had reached a point where they were never going to be normal between the two of them. From the Floyd Mayweather Jr.–Conor McGregor fight, which the ‘Golden Boy’ heavily criticized, to the allegation of Dana White’s unwarranted interference that led to a tentative fight with UFC legend Georges St. Pierre aborted, and then the favorite topic of the UFC fighters payouts, the difference runs over a slew of issues.

What’s your take on Dana White’s rant against Bob Arum? Do you think he is right to judge a veteran who has been in the boxing business for so long?