Dana White started out as a boxing promoter before switching to mixed martial arts and taking the UFC to unprecedented heights. After forging a $11.3 billion brand with his MMA promotion, the 55-year-old is now making his way into boxing with the TKO Boxing banner. The responses to his move to the sport have been mixed, and star boxer David Benavidez believes there could be some difficulties that White could face in his new endeavor.
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The advent of Dana White and TKO into the sport of boxing means opportunities and more money for boxers around the world. However, Dana White’s journey, in association with His Excellency Turki Alalshikh of the General Entertainment Authority, could start with a few challenges. According to WBC and WBA light heavyweight champion David Benavidez, it’s to become a prominent name in boxing, which could take up to a decade for TKO Boxing.
“I feel like, honestly, if you put more money into boxing, for me, it’s good for all the other boxers,” David Benavidez stated on the ‘Pound 4 Pound’ podcast. “I feel like that TKO is going to take a while for it to really get off the ground because they need to sign fighters. It’s going to take at least 5-10 years, in my opinion.”
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Unlike MMA, boxing is flooded with many promotions, and they would try to consolidate their power in the sport, as Dana White is a relative newcomer. But besides the business challenges, David Benavidez claims the UFC CEO’s entry into boxing is surely going to help the sport garner more fame and popularity since he already did that with the UFC.
“Boxing is a dirty game, bro. They are not gonna like that. A lot of the managers and promoters, they’re not going to like that,” the WBA-WBC champ added. “It’s good for the other boxers because they get opportunities now. Now there’s DAZN, Top Rank, PBC [and] now TKO. So, that’s good, bro. It’s good… The more money you put into boxing, the more attention boxing gets. It’s better for the next generations.”
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Well, Dana White may have to worry about the other boxing promoters, as per David Benavidez’s advice, as he seems to have faced a similar issue already. Dana White and TKO Boxing were initially announced to be partnering for a mega boxing event with HE Turki Alalshikh, but the GEA Chairman had other plans.
Dana White and TKO Boxing left out of the Canelo vs Crawford fight
One of the biggest boxing matches of the year is going to take place in Saudi Arabia, as Canelo Alvarez will go one-on-one against Terence Crawford. The fight between the two champions and top pound-for-pound stars was supposed to have Dana White and TKO Boxing promoting the fight. However, recent reports suggest the UFC CEO will no longer have any skin in the game as Turki Alalshikh announced the fight will solely be promoted by Sela for Riyadh Season.
“We have confirmed the promoter for Canelo v Crawford will be Sela for Riyadh Season. The broadcaster we have not decided yet, but the date will be Saturday, 13th September. More details soon,” the GEA Chairman stated on social media. Meanwhile, Dana White hasn’t opened up or made any statements regarding this matter in any interviews or on social media.
Things may look bleak, but it’s just the beginning of Dana White’s journey in the boxing space, so it’s a bit early to make any assumptions about his new endeavor. It will be interesting to see how things shape up for the 55-year-old in the coming months and years as he aims to fix boxing’s fractured foundation. What do you have to say about Benavidez’s statements? Drop your comments below.
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Edited by
Jyotsna Rai