Remember when Zuffa Boxing was a thing, and then it wasn’t a thing? Well, it is still not a thing, and it doesn’t look like it will ever happen as UFC president Dana White says, boxing is a nightmare to try and fix.
Boxing seems to be having a resurgence in the combat sports world, with fantastic fights happening almost every month. Some would say the sport is in a really good place, while others would say it still needs a lot of work.
The UFC president is one of those critics.
Broken
White sees boxing as a broken business when asked if he was still interested in Zuffa Boxing.
“Yeah, you know, every time I try to think about doing something with boxing, I go why would I want to do this to myself? Why would I even want to dive into this nightmare? That’s why I haven’t really done anything. It’s a broken business that is an absolute nightmare to try and fix,” White said.
It looks like White really hasn’t budged from his stance in late 2020 when he told TSN, “I’ve been looking and kicking the tires of boxing for the last couple of years. The reason you’ve never seen me do anything is because that’s how screwed up and broken it is. That’s what a mess it is. Yeah, I’m not doing anything anytime soon.”
White and the UFC model their approach to MMA very differently from how boxing promoters organize boxing events. There are several key differences between the UFC and boxing. One of the most glaring is the difference in the salaries of fighters, which has prompted many UFC fighters to compete against boxing’s most talented athletes.
There is no doubt that boxers typically earn considerably more than their UFC counterparts. In addition to the fact that boxers have more choice when it comes to choosing their opponents, they also have a greater say over the terms of the deal, if the promoters can reach an agreement. On the other hand, the UFC tends to have a leg up in both aspects as a general rule.
In 2017, Conor McGregor earned his biggest payday by boxing Floyd Mayweather. He held two UFC titles at the time. In recent years, many of the most recognizable UFC athletes have turned their attention to the boxing ring in search of a potential windfall.
With how well the UFC is doing at the moment, it is understandable why White basically said screw that to boxing.
