Dana White Mission to Become ‘CEO of Boxing’ Revealed

The UFC has become one of the biggest MMA promotions due to the hard work of CEO Dana White, who aims to do the same for boxing.

Dana White Mission to Become ‘CEO of Boxing’ Revealed

Dana White reveals his plans for boxing (via SportsPro)

There has been a longstanding debate over the future of boxing and whether the sport can reclaim its mainstream dominance. Dana White has already transformed mixed martial arts into a global powerhouse with the UFC, and now believes he can do the same with boxing. His latest comments suggest that he was prepared to assume the role of restructuring the sport to create a more unified system.

White has long been critical of the way boxing is currently run, often pointing out the fractured promotions, confusing sanctioning bodies, and the lack of recognizable champions. For years, he has teased the idea of entering the boxing space, but now his words suggest a more concrete vision. Moreover, he is set to manage the upcoming super fight between Terence Crawford and Canelo Alvarez.

He recently spoke on the changes he would make to boxing as a sport in an interview with boxing commentator Max Kellerman. White highlighted the problems with the promotion of boxing and believed that the focus should be on both the undercard fights and the main card and championship bouts. He responded to Kellerman’s question regarding if there will be a recognizable personality behind boxing.

This is how you build an NFL or NBA. This is how it’s done. I feel like we’re starting from scratch now with boxing. There’s a handful of guys that matter and that people care about but there has to be a pipeline of young an upcoming guys, I believe we can do it again. With simpler weight classes you’ll actually know some of these champions now.

Dana White via Ring Magazine

The UFC boss explained that his focus would be on creating a system where fans don’t just know one or two boxers but actually recognize champions across divisions. This vision is aimed at restoring the star power that boxing once had, and White is confident it can be achieved if done the right way. White’s approach would likely involve structured matchmaking and less politics between promoters.

Part of White’s plan seems rooted in his belief that boxing has failed to properly market its athletes. The UFC has built stars like Conor McGregor, Jon Jones, and Ronda Rousey through consistent promotion and storytelling. However, boxing has often struggled to keep fighters in the public eye outside of events. Boxing is divided across multiple organizations, each with their own rules, champions, and broadcast deals.

White’s track record of building the UFC from a struggling promotion into a billion-dollar industry has given him credibility. Supporters believe that if anyone can inject life back into boxing, it’s him. Whether he can unify the fractured pieces of the sport or not remains to be seen, but his comments have undeniably reignited the conversation about boxing’s future.

Dana White scrutinizes the management of boxing events

Dana White has never held back when it comes to criticizing the way boxing is run, and his latest comments once again highlight his frustration with the sport’s structure. Speaking about the pacing of boxing events, White ripped into how promoters stretch out fight cards, leaving fans waiting for long gaps between bouts. He argued that this type of scheduling is damaging to the viewing experience.

Dana White talks about boxing management
Dana White talks about boxing management (via Sports Illustrated)

The UFC CEO was seen talking about the issue at the UFC 309 press conference. According to White, fans don’t tune in to watch endless filler segments or drawn-out breaks, but rather to see the action inside the ring. He highlighted the podcasts shown in between fights and made it clear that boxing has failed to adapt to modern expectations.

These guys will do a fight, and then have a ****** podcast for an hour and thirty minutes before the next ******* fight comes on.

Dana White via UFC 309 press conference

In contrast, the UFC has consistently emphasized tight pacing, ensuring that once one fight ends, the next contest is being set up without unnecessary downtime. This model has often been praised by fans for keeping the momentum alive throughout an event.

White’s rant reflects a broader issue that many fans have complained about for years. Boxing, despite its rich history and high-profile stars, continues to struggle with production choices that frustrate viewers. With Dana White now exploring deeper involvement in boxing, his remarks could be seen as both criticism and a preview of the changes he believes the sport desperately needs.

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