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In a groundbreaking revelation, Dana White, the president and CEO of UFC, disclosed last week that his eagerly anticipated foray into the world of boxing would be undertaken in collaboration with TKO Group Holdings. This announcement marked a significant milestone, as White had long been hinting at his interest in venturing into boxing, and during last week’s SBJ Media Innovators conference, he was probed by SBJ Publisher and Executive Editor Abe Madkour about the possibility of him making a move into the sport. White candidly stated, “There’s no secret that I’m engaged in negotiations with key players in the boxing industry right now, and hopefully, if this deal materializes, we’d have a formal agreement in place and announced to the public in January or February. But yes, I’m genuinely interested in exploring opportunities in boxing, which, in my opinion, is an industry that’s currently plagued by inefficiencies and a lack of direction. It’s worth noting that it took significant financial backing from Saudi investors to facilitate some of the most highly anticipated fights in recent memory and to inject some much-needed momentum into the sport.”
White, who has been instrumental in shaping the UFC into the global powerhouse it is today, drew parallels between his vision for boxing and the successful blueprint he employed to revitalize the UFC. “I firmly believe that you need to dismantle the existing framework and rebuild it from the ground up, just as we did with the UFC back in 2001, when we acquired the organization with a mere 13 contracts, an antiquated wooden Octagon, and no television presence. At the time, the UFC wasn’t even permitted on pay-per-view, so we had to start from scratch and construct the entire ecosystem from the ground up. And I’m convinced that a similar approach is necessary to revitalize the sport of boxing.”
In addition to his foray into boxing, White is also expanding his reach into grappling and jiu jitsu, with plans to launch a reality TV show and host a series of competitions under the TKO umbrella. “We’re on the cusp of launching a reality show, which will be followed by a string of live events, and by the end of 2025, the TKO umbrella will encompass all combat sports disciplines. This move is a strategic one, as we’ve recently signed Brazilian jiu jitsu sensation Mikey Musumeci, marking the first of several high-profile signings to come. As I announced earlier, Mikey’s signing represents a significant milestone in our efforts to develop the world’s premier Brazilian jiu-jitsu program, which I’ve been tirelessly working on over the past year. I’m thrilled to welcome Mikey to our team, and this signing paves the way for the signing of other top talent in the BJJ world.”
TKO, the publicly traded company that is 51% owned by Endeavor, controls UFC and WWE and is acquiring some Endeavor assets including the PBR. Power Slap, one of White’s other ventures, counts UFC as an investor, but White also has business interests outside of the TKO Group with Thrill One Sports & Entertainment.
