“I like taking things are that broken, can’t be fixed and I’m going to fix them. There’s no way I would get into something that I couldn’t run and control.” The recent announcement of Dana White entering the boxing world marks a paradigm shift for the sport. Partnering with His Excellency Turki Alalshikh and TKO Holdings, this new boxing league represents one of the most significant developments in combat sports in recent years. Informally dubbed as TKO Boxing, the league aims to revamp the “broken” world of the sweet science.

In the current system, boxers are signed to promotional deals that include big players like Matchroom Boxing, Top Sport, Golden Boy Promotions, and more. Moreover, multiple sanctioning bodies like the WBO, WBC, IBF, and WBA have been a glaring concern for the sport owing to the multiple champions and convoluted red-taping that prevents a particular weight class from having one single undisputed king. This issue is further compounded by the sheer number of the said classes which amounts to 17 at the moment. This divides the top talent and also limits high-profile matchups.

However, one of the biggest concerns in the world of boxing remains fighter pay. For the casual fans, things seem smooth but the reality is darker than one may like to think. Up-and-coming boxers end up making only $1000-4000 a fight. Talk about peanuts! Well, White has promised to put an end to this chaos! While this might be something new for the fans and even the boxers, former UFC fighter Josh Thomson thinks this will be a success. On his Weighing In podcast, the show producer displayed the “proposed” pay scale for fighters in White’s boxing promotion.

Taking notice and speaking to ‘Big’ John McCarthy on their ‘Weighing In’ podcast, the veteran 155fer said: “What it is that it is for younger fighters. These are for fighters coming up that are never gonna see money trying to box on the undercard of a Mayweather fight. Those fighters are gonna make $1000 and $1000, $800 and $800….That’s what this whole misconception is about that boxers get paid all the time! No, they do not. I know they are not gonna have 14 fights on a card because there is too much time, it just takes forever to go 10 rounds…So, they will probably start going with 5 to 7 fights a card where you will end up watching young, talented fighters come up. They can make those numbers [pointing towards the leaked chart]”

He further added, “I have already seen plenty of the media. I’ve already seen plenty of people complaining. That oh they are not going to get top-level boxers. What you guys are missing combing over is the fact that Turki Alalshikh and Dana if they want a fighter. They will go get it. They will negotiate a separate deal for that fighter.”

“The younger stars are going to get this type of salary and then those younger stars will become big names. And they’ll end up making what guys like Jon Jones, what guys like GSP they are going to end up making those. But they are gonna wait to build those guys up under their own promotion so that those boxers don’t know anything else but Dana White and Turki Alalshikh. It’s a brilliant plan!”

The league is placing a strong emphasis on developing young boxers and nurturing their talent over the years. While Thomson acknowledges that they may earn less initially, he believes this structured setup will ultimately benefit them as they progress in their careers. However, the concept hasn’t been without its critics—most notably, Oscar De La Hoya. Despite the backlash, Dana White has found an unexpected supporter in Michael Bisping, who has thrown his weight behind the idea.

Michael Bisping feels Dana White’s new boxing plan will change the boxing landscape

The recent announcement sent shockwaves through the boxing world, sparking a mix of skepticism and excitement. But one thing was certain—it got the attention of the sport’s old guard. Among those most rattled was Oscar De La Hoya, whose rivalry with Dana White is well documented. The former six-weight class champion didn’t take kindly to White’s bold declaration. He admitted he was “offended” by the UFC boss’s comments about boxing’s current state.

Golden Boy’s head honcho has now shared his opinion on how White’s latest venture might work. In a recent conversation with Fight Hub TV, De La Hoya took a dig at the UFC head honcho and stated: “Dana White doesn’t know boxing, we’ve had interesting people come into the sport, trying to promote, manage, this and that over the years and try to do it the wrong way and change the sport of boxing.” But former 185lbs champ Michael Bisping doesn’t quite agree with it. He took to his YouTube channel and shared his honest opinion on the whole.

‘The Count’ said, “There’s a lot of people out there losing their minds, going, ‘Oh my God, this is terrible for boxing! The UFC fighters don’t get paid very much, boxers make real money. That’s bullshit. That is what Dana White is going to bring to the table. Of course, with the parent company TKO and the financial backing of Turki Alalshikh.”

“Turki Alalshikh has been spending a lot of money, but still, the sizzle of it isn’t there. The experience, I’ve seen a lot of people complaining about some of the events. You go to a boxing event, a lot of the pacing is terrible. As Dana said in an interview, they’re doing podcasts in between fights. Having concerts in between fights, and the people in the stands who bought a ticket and flew all the way to Saudi Arabia? They just want action. That will be fixed.”

Dana White has long voiced his criticism of boxing’s pay structure. Moreover, he has insisted that his model will ensure fair compensation for all fighters. But what do you think about the 55-year-old’s latest venture? Share your thoughts in the comments below!