UFC president Dana White has listed several changes he looks to make after launching a new boxing promotion with Turki Alalshikh.
The pair announced last week that they have joined forces in a bid to ‘crush’ the competition and revolutionise boxing from the top down.
As the chairman of the General Entertainment Authority in Saudi Arabia, Alalshikh has already injected astronomical sums of money into the sport.
Having operated primarily under his Riyadh Season banner, the power broker now looks to stage a series of Ring Magazine events after buying the media outlet last year.
In doing so, he also has full control over the Ring Magazine belt, and with White wishing to establish one title per weight division, it would appear that they are in pole position to do just that.
While the intricate details of their business deal remain to be seen, White has revealed that, ahead of their first joint promotion in 2026, there are over 150 fighters he is already looking to sign.
And with the boss of MMA’s flagship promotion operating under the umbrella of Nick Khan’s TKO Group, it would be difficult for any boxer to turn down such a lucrative opportunity.
Aside from his talent acquisition, though, White also has plans to change the way in which boxing is consumed.
More than anything, he seemingly remains disillusioned by the pacing of fight cards, insisting that UFC events typically deliver a greater sense of excitement.
And so, instead of playing Neil Diamond’s Sweet Caroline before every main event, White’s approach to production promises to provide fans with a far more captivating experience.
“I sell holy s*** moments; that’s what I do for a living,” he told Dan Rafael. “I have to have three or four holy s*** moments a night to make the people that paid for tickets, and the people that watched it on TV, feel like they got their money’s worth.
“I have a really good relationship with my consumer, and that’s what boxing doesn’t have – and that’s what I need to build.
“Boxing is bad live, and bad on f***ing TV. These guys [promoters] will put on a fight and then do a podcast. You blow your whole evening sitting there waiting for the fights.”
