Dana White has never been short on ambition, but his latest plan might be his boldest yet. The UFC boss says he wants to completely reshape professional boxing, and he is convinced his new venture, Zuffa Boxing, can do just that.
Speaking recently with ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith, White made it clear he is done talking and ready to act.
“I’ve been talking trash about boxing for years. Now it’s time to back it up,” he said. “I’m getting rid of the sanctioning bodies. The best will fight the best. We’re going to sign all the young talent.”
Targeting Boxing’s Power Structure
At the heart of White’s frustration are boxing’s four major sanctioning organisations: the WBC, WBA, WBO and IBF. He believes they are a major reason the sport is fragmented, with multiple champions in each division and too many top fighters avoiding each other.
White has teamed up with Saudi power broker Turki Alalshikh to launch Zuffa Boxing. Alalshikh owns The Ring magazine, which awards its own championship belts and rankings — and those will be the only ones Zuffa Boxing plans to recognise.
The established bodies are already pushing back. After White announced the promotion, the WBC issued a sarcastic “welcome” letter in late 2025, mocking his proposal to change parts of the Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act.
Copying the UFC Blueprint
White has openly said he plans to use the same model that turned the UFC into a global powerhouse: one promotion, clear rankings, and regular matchups between top contenders.
He argues that boxing has lost its competitive edge.
“In boxing, nobody fights anybody,” White said. “Everyone’s undefeated because they avoid real challenges. In Zuffa Boxing, your record will actually mean something.”
According to him, an unbeaten record should signal elite status, not careful matchmaking. His vision is a system where top fighters are routinely matched against each other, and rankings genuinely reflect performance.
A New Era Begins in January
Zuffa Boxing is scheduled to officially launch on January 23 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The event will stream on Paramount+, which has signed a five-year deal to broadcast the promotion.
The plan is ambitious: 12 events a year, one every month.
Whether White can truly dominate boxing the way he did mixed martial arts remains to be seen. But one thing is certain — he’s entering the sport determined to disrupt it, and he has no intention of doing so quietly.
