Following the success of ‘King’ Callum Walsh’s feature on UFC Fight Pass, CEO Dana White has teased that he could soon be making a long-awaited move into the world of boxing promotion.
Whilst there are those inside the combat sports world who’re vehemently against Dana White entering the industry, especially in partnership with Turki Alalshikh, there are also some enormous names who’re begging the UFC CEO to get entangled.
Hall of Famer Teddy Atlas begs Dana White to hitch Turki Alalshikh in boxing
When Chairman of the General Entertainment Authority Turki Alalshikh first barged his way into the boxing scene, there was significant backlash to what many fans deemed to be ‘sportswashing’ from the Saudi Arabian government.
Yet here and now in September 2024, Alalshikh is being hailed as the person chargeable for the ‘saving’ of boxing – having helped negotiate (because of deep, deep pockets) a slew of incredible fights that many thought were almost unimaginable to place together.
A lot of those self same sentiments are actually being echoed regarding Dana White, with Hall of Famer Teddy Atlas coming out to essentially beg the UFC CEO to partner with Alalshikh in an effort to make the fights that the game needs: “I’d say come on in, come on in – we’d like you!
“Turki Alalshikh has helped boxing tremendously by making fights that the promoters couldn’t make or didn’t intend to make because they didn’t own each side, they didn’t control each side; they don’t wish to go across the road to share.
“The fans suffered and didn’t get the fights that they wanted, the game suffered, the game was getting less and fewer relevant… This sport shouldn’t be irrelevant, but it surely was becoming it since the promotors with their networks [and] with their sugar daddies, they were just making fights to maintain their guys undefeated.”
Atlas, who coached the likes of Mike Tyson, Barry McGuigan and Alexander Povetkin, explained how the core issue with boxing ‘pre-Turki’ was that promoters would mostly look to make the largest “non-competitive fights” that they might.
“Every every now and then, they’d throw you a bone, but it surely wasn’t enough, the fans were ravenous after which Turki Alalshikh got here along from Saudi with the cash and he’s made fights that the game needs.”
Consequently, Atlas believes that a partnership between Alalshikh and Dana White could lead to a brand new era for boxing where one of the best finally fight one of the best frequently.
“Dana White does that; he’s been doing that endlessly over on the UFC. I realize it’s one guy in charge and other people call him a dictator, but when a dictator ain’t chopping heads off and he’s getting things done, sometimes perhaps you possibly can learn a bit something.
“Possibly if the 2 of them join together and if Dana White brings his model to boxing to have the infrastructure, to have the foundations, the enforcement of rules to have the type of fights that folks want, Teddy would say ‘Hey Dana, come on in this fashion.’”
UFC CEO Dana White teases he could possibly be set to enter the boxing industry
During a live Q&A with fans before Callum Walsh’s homecoming bout, which was broadcast continue to exist UFC Fight Pass on Friday evening, Dana White would commit to his long-awaited boxing enterprise.
“There will likely be some big announcements soon,” said White on his future involvement in boxing, noting how after quite a lot of years pondering the move, his mind is finally made up.
“I never say anything that I don’t do, ever – I’ve never said anything like that, and we’ve been kicking the entire boxing thing around for a very long time, but you’ve never heard me commit and say ‘I’m in’… Well, I’m in.”
With boxing in a greater place than it has been for years, could there be room for Dana White and Turki Alalshikh to turn out to be the faces of the sports promotion?
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