UFC president Dana White recently made a huge announcement that is set to make waves in the world of boxing.
Teaming up with Saudi Arabian advisor Turki Alalshikh, the announcement confirmed speculation that the MMA businessman would venture into a new combat sport.
White has been endorsing Callum Walsh in recent years, an Irish professional boxer. Following a homecoming show in 2024, it appeared as if White’s interest in boxing was growing.
On March 5th, White posted a video to his social media channels saying with the caption, “Boom! Boxing here we come.”
In the video, White says, “We’ve just done a deal to start a new boxing league with Turki, who absolutely loves the sport of boxing.”
Although White’s announcement has drawn mixed responses from fans, finer details are still yet to emerge. However, there is some information regarding the currently unnamed TKO boxing league.
So what might boxing look like under the UFC president?
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Dana White seemingly to keep same format as UFC for boxing league
It is understood that White’s move into boxing is not to resemble the actions of fellow promoters such as Eddie Hearn or Frank Warren.
Instead, White is seemingly going to implement his UFC structure into boxing.
In his announcement video, White said, “The [UFC] model is proven to deliver the fights that the fans want to see. The best will fight the best, and, the fighters will continue to move up the rankings and become world champions.”
The current structure in the MMA organization is a ranking system of 15 fighters per weight division. Contenders are ranked from 15th to 1st, the division is then topped by a champion, who is the only belt holder of the weight class.
A fighter’s rank implies how close they are to title contention. However, fighters are eligible to fight for a title regardless of their ranking.
This means that, theoretically, the number four contender may get a world title opportunity despite not being the highest-ranked athlete in the division.
Rankings in the UFC are based on the opinions of media members, as the standings are altered every Tuesday.
Fight results have a direct implication on a fighter’s ranking. However, there is no official algorithm to determine how a fighter’s ranking may change after a win or loss, it is based on opinion.
The current UFC model also does not include mandatory challengers of titles. However, it is unclear as to whether or not they will be introduced to White’s new boxing league.
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Who will fight in Dana White’s boxing league?
There has been no official roster announced for White’s boxing league. However, TKO Group Holdings, the parent company of the UFC, announced that they are looking at around 150 boxers trying to decide on who to sign to the league.
It appears as if White and Alalshikh will not be aiming to sign already-established names to the boxing league. Speaking at the UFC 313 post-fight press conference, White implied that they would seek younger fighters and build their profiles.
“We built stars [at the UFC], and they became pay-per-view stars. I want to do the same thing with boxing.”
It is also understood that White’s boxing league will not begin having events until 2026.