UFC CEO Dana White is in the headlines right now not just because of UFC 313 but also because he has been promoting a new boxing league with Saudi Arabia’s Turki Alalshikh. While the fight world waits with bated breath, the MMA community is wondering what this new initiative is going to mean for the UFC.
Will it become a crossover event like the Power Slap League, or will the two fighting sports stay distinctly separate, as is the case with the UFC and WWE alliance? During a recent appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, White confronted these issues directly, leaving no doubt that the UFC’s fighters would not be making the transition into boxing. The new boxing league, White said, will be separate from the UFC, and fighters will not be making the switch from the Octagon to the boxing ring.
Dana White’s Strong Stand on UFC Fighters and Boxing
When questioned regarding whether UFC fighters will be involved in the new boxing league, White made his stance clear as day: “No, never.” He stressed that although there might be a few UFC fighters who are interested in boxing, he has no desire to see a crossover between the two sports.
“You keep your boxers in boxing and your MMA fighters in MMA. That will never happen,” White said confidently, showing that the UFC will always be focused on mixed martial arts. The comments serve to reinforce the impression that, whether through cooperation or conflict on the other side of the business, both sports, the integrity shall remain. The UFC will stick to their guns and stay within MMA.
Alex Pereira’s Boxing Hopes Dashed
This revelation is especially significant for UFC light heavyweight titleholder Alex Pereira, who had already expressed a desire to fight heavyweight boxing champion Oleksandr Usyk as part of the new collaboration between UFC parent company TKO Group and Turki Alalshikh’s boxing operation.
At a media day for UFC 313, Pereira had left the door open for the possibility of competing in the new boxing league, suggesting that the bout might take place as early as September in Saudi Arabia. “Who knows, September, Saudi Arabia?” he asserted. With White’s recent statements regarding the UFC’s adamant avoidance of its isolation from boxing, Pereira’s aspirations for competing in the ring against Usyk seem to be ruined for the time being.
Despite the enthusiasm surrounding the potential crossover fights, White’s statement reinforces the idea that UFC fighters, including stars like Pereira, will not be venturing into boxing under the new promotion.
The Boxing League’s Anticipated Launch
While UFC fighters may be sidelined from the new boxing league, the promotion itself is still generating significant buzz.
The new league is set to launch in September, with talk of it boasting a big showdown between two of the sport’s biggest stars: Saul “Canelo” Alvarez and Terence Crawford. With Alalshikh having a track record of arranging the biggest fights, heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk’s appearance in the inaugural event is far from impossible, though nothing official has been revealed. The event is set to be a huge spectacle, commanding great interest from both the world of boxing and the public at large.
Yet there are plenty of unanswered questions regarding the structuring of the promotion, not least of all in financial terms. Parent company TKO Group has traditionally focused on squeezing out revenue from UFC pay-per-views, with the company often reducing fight cards beyond the top billings. Whether the strategy is applied to boxing or not, the new league certainly has the potential to attract substantial financial support and high-profile matches.
The Future of the Boxing League: A New Era or Another Short-lived Venture?
The creation of this new boxing league, particularly with the involvement of Saudi Arabia, has also opened questions regarding the long-term viability and organization of the league. With Dana White and the UFC stating categorically that there is to be no crossover between the two sports, the future of this new league will probably hang in the balance of whether or not it is able to find a unique niche and differentiate itself from the sphere of mixed martial arts.
The fans are waiting to see if the new boxing foray can live up to its hype and if it can build the type of crossover appeal the UFC has accomplished. White’s comments, however, indicate that the UFC will keep its top priority firmly rooted in MMA with no intention to combine the two combat sports into one single event.
As the boxing league prepares to make its first show in September, the fight scene will be keenly observing how the event goes down and if it can match up with the amount of excitement and success that has been achieved with other combat sports promotions. For now, however, UFC fighters are keeping to their own lane, and any aspirations to enter the sport of boxing will have to wait until after they retire their gloves in MMA.
Dana White’s recent words have laid to rest any rumor that UFC fighters will be involved in the new boxing promotion alongside Saudi Arabia’s Turki Alalshikh.
Though the new boxing league is eagerly anticipated, with superstars such as Canelo Alvarez and Terence Crawford speculated to top the first event’s bill, White’s adamant denial ensures that the realms of MMA and boxing will be separate for the foreseeable future. UFC competitors such as Alex Pereira will not be making a crossover into the sport of boxing, allowing the two to go their separate ways.
As the new boxing league is set to kick off, fans are left to question whether it can repeat the success of the UFC or be just another fleeting experiment within the competitive field of combat sports.
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