Dana White Readies 70-Fighter Army for Boxing as 25-Year Battle With NFL, NBA Fuels Secret Ambition

After conquering the MMA world with the UFC, Dana White now has his sights set on boxing. Backed by UFC and WWE’s parent company, TKO Group, and Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority, White is preparing to launch Zuffa Boxing in 2026. His promise? To bring the UFC formula into boxing and revolutionize the sport. But pulling it off won’t be easy.

The UFC boss will face stiff competition from established powerhouses like Matchroom Boxing’s Eddie Hearn, Queensberry’s Frank Warren, and others who have decades of experience, deep networks, and the ability to deliver multimillion-dollar paydays to fighters. Still, Dana White has made it clear—he’s not intimidated and has issued a bold warning to boxing’s old guard.

What is the secret ambition of Dana White? 

Dana White is promoting the highly anticipated Canelo Alvarez vs. Terence Crawford fight this weekend in Las Vegas, which will serve as the inaugural event for his new venture, Zuffa Boxing. Ahead of the bout, White appeared on Vegas PBS, where he revealed, “Right now, we probably have between 60 and 70 fighters under contract.” 

It’s important to note that the Muhammad Ali American Boxing Revival Act, introduced in Congress, has not yet been passed—a key step that will ultimately determine how Zuffa Boxing operates. When asked how he managed to attract fighters despite heavy competition in the boxing world, White responded, “I think that the great thing about it is there’s a lot of options that…” 

“Eddie Hearn is a great promoter. He’s very successful and in my opinion, he’s a good guy… You got Frank Warren out in the UK, too, who’s very successful and does well… We’re all going to have to compete and we’re all going to try to be better than the other guy to get the best talent,” he continued, revealing his secret ambition to compete with the established promotions.

UFC CEO DANA WHITE with post event media during the UFC 304 event at Co-op Etihad Campus, SportCity, Manchester, England on the 27 July 2024. Copyright: xAndyxRowlandx PMI-6350-0002

While much is made of the pay gap between MMA fighters and boxers, not every boxer makes millions per fight. For many, joining Zuffa Boxing may not make much of a difference—though top-tier names are unlikely to sign on unless offered massive paydays. Still, White emphasized that his competition goes beyond other promoters. “I compete with the NFL, I compete with the NBA, I compete with big movie studios. Whatever takes your attention on Saturday night is my competition.”

Reflecting on the challenge ahead, White added during the interview, “So, as I get into boxing, it’s a totally different world than MMA. I’ve been doing this for 25 years. This is my 26—is going to be my first year in the sport. So, I will definitely be competing with the Eddie Hearns and Frank Warrens of the world.” Now, the question is, how does Eddie Hearn view the new boxing league?

Eddie Hearn shares views on White’s new boxing league

Back in March, Eddie Hearn weighed in on UFC CEO Dana White’s plans to launch the new boxing league. He dismissed prior statements made by White that the sport of boxing is “broken.” Speaking to the 5 Live Boxing with Steve Bunce podcast, the Matchroom Boxing head said, “I think it’s great for boxing.” 

“One thing I disagree with is [that] boxing’s not broken. Boxing is in a great place—it always has been. There’s always ways we can improve it, but the fact [that] those guys want to come into boxing shows where it’s at.” Despite his welcoming words for White, he is not fully sold on White’s idea to implement the UFC model in boxing. 

 “That’s not really going to work in boxing. Also, fighters are drastically overpaid in boxing, and the margins in MMA are different.”

It appears Dana White is coming into the sport guns blazing. However, only time will tell whether his boxing venture turns out to be a success. Do you think Dana White can survive Eddie Hearn, Frank Warren, and others? 

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