UFC CEO Dana White has responded to the rumor mill by shutting down one false claim regarding Top Rank Boxing.
Over the holiday weekend, a rumor started to swirl regarding the future of Bob Arum’s boxing promotion. One rumor went as far as to claim that TKO Group Holdings, the media conglomerate that houses UFC and WWE, will be purchasing Top Rank Boxing.
While the rumor sent combat sports fans into a frenzy for a brief period, it was quickly put to bed by both Dana White and Top Rank CEO and founder Bob Arum.
Promised everyone a Christmas gift, never printed, never talked about, biggest Boxing news in many years, Boxing Powerhouse #TopRank is in the final due diligence stage of being sold to Entertainment conglomerate #Endeavor headed by #AriEmanuel, Endeavor is the parent company of…
— Rick Glaser (@RealRickGlaser1) December 26, 2023
Dana White Shuts Down Top Rank Boxing Rumor
White has taken to social media to quickly deny that Top Rank is being bought by TKO Group Holdings.
From Dana White's IG Story pic.twitter.com/dLKTazQrUc
— Jed I. Goodman © (@jedigoodman) December 26, 2023
“Absolutely, positively not true,” White said. “We are not buying Top Rank.”
Renowned boxing journalist Dan Rafael asked Bob Arum if there was any truth to the rumor, and his answer was about as emphatic as it gets.
“Total crazy sh*t,” Arum said. “I have not talked about this with anyone. We are not for sale. I have no intention to retire. Having too much fun.'”
Unless TKO Group Holdings and Bob Arum are hiding something, the brief talking point over the weekend was all for nothing. White being so quick to debunk the rumor has led some to believe he did so in an effort to shed any perception that the UFC is monopolizing combat sports amid an antitrust lawsuit.
Boxing fans are all too familiar with changes. Showtime Boxing had its final event in late 2023, and the promotion that had once called Showtime home, Premier Boxing Champions, has inked a new deal with Amazon’s Prime Video. A whole sale of a long-running and successful promotion would’ve had boxing fans wondering what the future would hold for the sweet science, but it appears it’s business as usual for Top Rank.
