Dana White, the mastermind behind the UFC’s meteoric rise from near bankruptcy to global dominance, is once again setting his sights on a new challenge. With Power Slap already in motion, the head honcho has now turned his attention to the world of boxing, partnering with Saudi GEA chairman Turki Alalshikh to launch a new league that has sent shockwaves through the combat sports landscape. A lifelong boxing fan, White previously teased the idea of “Zuffa Boxing” during the buildup to Conor McGregor vs. Floyd Mayweather in 2017.

However, time and circumstances prevented that vision from coming to life. Now, eight years later, he believes the moment is right to reignite his passion for the sport and address the deep-rooted issues he sees plaguing it. Moreover, White has been vocal about the problems afflicting modern boxing, from fragmented promotions, 17 different weight classes, and red taping in making the best fights possible. However, his ambitious new venture hasn’t been met without skepticism.

A major concern has been echoed by former light heavyweight champion Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson. He questioned if White’s league would be able to financially compete with traditional promoters in paying boxing’s elite 1%. As anticipation builds, all eyes are on White to see if he can once again revolutionize a combat sport, or if boxing will prove to be a different beast altogether.

During his JAXXON podcast, the UFC legend said, “Dana White is doing boxing. So, is he gonna let the UFC fighters go and box there? Let’s look at the pros and cons of this. Dana White pays well now and the UFC pays well if you’re in the top 1%. So, how is he gonna go over to boxing? He’s not used to paying the top 1% boxers what they’re used to getting paid. They get paid, and the top 1%, they get paid! So, how’s that gonna play out?”

This is when his co-host pointed towards the obvious player in this whole game and mentioned the GEA chairman’s partnership with White. Agreeing to the point, Jackson quipped, “Turki Alalshikh!”

The former light heavyweight champion made a valid point. It’s going to be tough for Dana White and the company to pay the top 1% the amount of money they are used to. However, with Turki Alalshikh involved, it’s safe to say that the league will have solid financial backing. Moreover, an article by BoxingScene revealed that an unranked boxer can earn $20,000 for a ten-round bout, and a defending champion can earn up to $750,000.

So, these figures can be indicators that the league will cater to talents that are not very well known. But if they are valid, then they are nowhere near to what the top 1 % in boxing are used to be paid. Numerous details are yet to be disclosed about this ambitious Boxing league. However, Dana White revealed something about the structure he envisions for the league. 

Dana White reveals the belt system for his new boxing league

People who don’t follow boxing might find the belt system a little complex. There are many organizations like the WBA, WBC, IBF, and WBO which have different belts for each weight class. That’s also one of the reasons why the UFC gets praised is because of its simplistic structure. By this, we mean that the MMA juggernaut only has one undisputed champion for each of its classes. This helps in legitimizing the best fighters in the world and also booking them for the next fight. 

Dana White announced that boxers will move away from traditional methods, and the league will now have basic divisions and their respective champions. According to a report by ESPN, White said, “It’s all going to go away. There’s going to be one belt. It’ll be like the UFC. The model is the model that we have [in UFC]. WBC, IBF, WBA, etc., etc. They will deal with those traditional promoters who exist right now. We’re not going to do that. We’re going to have the basic weight classes that started everything. We will have one champion.”

Do you think Dana White’s boxing league will be a hit? Please drop your comments!