Ali Akbar Rosady
Las Vegas, NV – Following its third professional boxing event on Sunday at the Meta APEX facility in Las Vegas, Zuffa Boxing CEO Dana White expressed profound surprise at the swift impact his new promotion has made within the sport, alongside what he described as a notable absence of substantive resistance from established boxing organizations and promoters. White, known for his direct and often provocative commentary, characterized the current competitive landscape as remarkably unchallenging.
The event, which saw a series of bouts unfold at Zuffa’s dedicated facility, marked another step in the promotion’s nascent journey. Speaking at the Zuffa Boxing 3 post-fight press conference, White addressed the broader reaction from prominent figures such as Matchroom Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn, Golden Boy Promotions founder Oscar De La Hoya, and sanctioning bodies like the World Boxing Council (WBC) since Zuffa Boxing’s official launch in January. Despite considerable public discourse surrounding his venture, White conveyed astonishment at the minimal tangible opposition encountered from entities typically considered his primary competitors.
"There hasn’t been any pushback," White stated unequivocally during the press conference, a segment of which was streamed online. "This is like beating up babies. I feel like I came in and I’m beating up babies. I expected more. I expected some pushback. I expected them to be more game." White further elaborated on his assessment of the established players, asserting, "They’re all way out of their league. Like absolutely, positively out of their league. I’m actually a little shocked."
Zuffa Boxing, an offshoot of the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s parent company, Zuffa LLC, entered the boxing scene with White articulating a vision to address what he consistently critiques as fundamental issues within the sport. These issues, according to White, include a fragmented promotional landscape, a proliferation of sanctioning body titles, and a perceived lack of long-term strategic planning that he believes hinders boxing’s overall growth and appeal. His entry into boxing, leveraging the infrastructure and operational expertise developed through the UFC, was anticipated by many industry observers to generate significant friction with existing stakeholders.
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While White maintains his focus remains squarely on developing Zuffa Boxing, he acknowledged the ongoing commentary from other promoters. Eddie Hearn, a prominent figure in international boxing promotion, has publicly voiced criticisms of Zuffa Boxing on multiple occasions since its inception. White, however, interprets this verbal sparring as an indication of the new promotion’s disruptive influence and the apprehension it is generating among incumbents.
"They don’t stop talking, the WBC and Eddie Hearn and all this sht that [Oscar] De La Hoya talks," White said, before directing particularly sharp remarks towards De La Hoya. "We all know [De La Hoya is] fcking mentally ill. The guy’s talking all this sht and his place is in foreclosure, he’s suing his fighter to try to stay with him. Has he done a clapback Thursday recently? I would fcking love to see an episode of clapback Thursday this Thursday from Oscar De La Hoya." White concluded this point by asserting, "Everybody feels it. It’s already happening. It’s going to be a fun year." These comments highlight White’s characteristic approach of blending business strategy with highly personal critiques of his perceived rivals, a style that has been a hallmark of his tenure at the UFC.
White has historically been a vocal critic of the traditional boxing model, frequently describing it as resembling a "going out of business sale" due to its reliance on individual "mega-fights" rather than a sustainable, future-oriented structure. He contends that while this model occasionally produces high-profile events, it lacks the consistent development and broader vision he aims to instill through Zuffa Boxing.
"At the end of the day, you guys are supposed to be the experts about what’s going on," White challenged reporters, reiterating his confidence in Zuffa Boxing’s trajectory. "Like I said, I’ll lay out a body of work this year and then you can judge me by how this thing plays out. Everybody knows that this thing has been broken for a long time." White has also clarified his strategy regarding established sanctioning bodies. "I said what I was going to do. I never said anything bad about the WBC or the IBF or any of them. I just said I’m not going to do business with them. I’m going to do my own thing." This declaration signifies a departure from the conventional promotional model that typically relies on the established alphabet soup of boxing organizations to sanction title fights.
A key aspect of Zuffa Boxing’s independent approach is its introduction of proprietary championship titles. This move was met with criticism from figures such as Eddie Hearn, who reportedly described the concept of Zuffa Boxing’s own belts as "cringey." The promotion has already scheduled its first major championship bout for Zuffa Boxing 4 in March, where Jai Opetaia is slated to contend with Brandon Glanton for the promotion’s cruiserweight title. This development signals Zuffa Boxing’s intent to operate autonomously from the existing sanctioning body framework.
White countered Hearn’s remarks with a pointed assessment of the British promoter’s impact on the sport. "I saw Eddie Hearn saying the belt is cringey and all this stuff," White stated. "I don’t think anybody looks at Eddie Hearn and says ‘oh this guy’s a visionary.’ The guy’s been in boxing forever. I look at him like most politicians. You’ve done nothing in the sport except stay in the lane and play by all the rules – you ended up becoming part of the problem is what happened." White further distinguished his approach from Hearn’s, adding, "I don’t want to sit here and smash Eddie Hearn or anything, but Eddie Hearn works for his dad. He works for dad and I don’t think he’s come in and ever had any type of vision whereas we do and we’re going to change the entire sport." This commentary underscores White’s perception of himself as a transformative figure challenging a stagnant establishment. He concluded by asserting, "I understand the people who are the status quo in boxing don’t like it. But it doesn’t mean they can’t still do their thing. If your thing is as good as you think it is, and you are as good as you think you are, then do your thing. Good luck to you. I’m going to do my thing and they’re going to do theirs."
White’s perspective is that veteran promoters, including Hearn, have had ample opportunities over decades to innovate and carve out unique spaces within boxing but have instead largely adhered to traditional patterns, contributing to the sport’s perceived stagnation. He suggests that the emergence of Zuffa Boxing is now compelling these established figures to adapt, potentially shifting them into a "survival mode."
As evidence of this perceived upheaval, White cited recent controversies involving WBC President Mauricio Sulaimán. Sulaimán has recently drawn headlines for decisions related to stripping champions of titles, reportedly over promotional dues, and for public complaints regarding his treatment at the high-profile Terence Crawford-Canelo Alvarez fight held last September. White views such incidents as symptomatic of the systemic issues he aims to rectify.
"The sport has been out there for over 100 years," White observed, addressing the financial capacity of competitors. "There’s plenty of guys that are involved in the sport, there’s plenty of money in the sport, Eddie Hearn and his dad have a lot of money. It’s not like they can’t compete. They can’t compete because they don’t know how to compete. There’s no vision there. I don’t know how else to explain it other than that."
White reiterated his challenge to the boxing community to evaluate Zuffa Boxing’s performance by the close of the year. "Listen, I’m sitting here my third fight in. I’m either right or I’m wrong. We’ll find out. I keep saying it over and over again. At the end of the year, judge us by what we’ve done this year. We’re three fights in and people are asking all these questions and this Sulaimán guy is incredible. He is incredible. He’s the greatest PR guy for how f*cked up boxing is of all time. He’s incredible." White’s remarks suggest a belief that the very actions and pronouncements of established figures like Sulaimán inadvertently serve to highlight the problems Zuffa Boxing aims to solve. The coming year is anticipated to be a period of significant observation for how Zuffa Boxing navigates the intricate and historically entrenched landscape of professional boxing.
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