“Fighting the Jiujitsu Instructor”: Tom Brady and Dana White’s Partner Turki Alalshikh’s Meeting Has Fans Talking About Potential Boxing Match

Following the launch of their boxing venture overnight, Turki Alalshikh and UFC boss Dana White have been linked with a surprising signing to the promotion – NFL star Tom Brady. Confirming the imminent landing of a new boxing organization under the guidance of TKO Group and Alalshikh, UFC leader White is set to feature prominently in the new brand. But what role does Brady play in it?

Alongside current WWE president Nick Khan, White has been given the go-ahead from Saudi adviser Alalshikh to spearhead a newly minted boxing organization. So, it is possible that the star quarterback might just be a household name who’s being paid to cash in on his popularity.

With Canelo Alvarez vs. Terence Crawford feuding to get their first foot off the ground in September, it doesn’t seem like the promotion needs much more hype.

Regardless, Brady’s picture with the Sheikh has been linked with a potential combat sports debut, especially after Alalshikh leaked a meeting between the duo just hours following the boxing venture’s reveal.

“With one of the biggest sports legends, Tom Brady,” Alalshikh posted on X. “Looking forward to great things ahead!”, he added, hinting at a powerful collaboration.

This led to a host of fans, some serious as a John Cena-heel turn, some clowning worse than Keiran Culkin at the Oscars, light up speculations about Brady lacing up gloves next.

One of these Twitter users got rather personal and nasty, brining his former beau Giselen Bundchen’s relationship with her former Jiu-Jitsu trainer and asked, “Tom fighting the jujitsu instructor ppv?”

Another claimed now was the chance for Brady and ‘The Sheriff’ to clash, saying, “Tom Brady vs. Peyton Manning cookin’.”

This man would bring up the resident celebrity boxer of our time and joke, “Jake Paul’s next opponent,”. A third social media commenter then poked fun at a potential signing. They would write, “Really going out of the box for this boxing venture!”

Now, of course, Brady is not fighting for Alalshikh and White, at least not with whatever the UFC boss is used to paying his athletes.

Fans speculate UFC-rate pay for newly-signed boxers

Just hours after revealing plans to base their boxing venture on a UFC-proven regime, White has already come under fire from fans and analysts. Unsurprisingly, it has to do with the UFC’s outdated and archaic revenue-sharing model with its athletes, the most disproportionate of any combat sports of the modern era.

Most notably, ex-puncher Paulie Malignaggi hit out at the launch. The ex-world champion described the aforenoted White as a “pig“.

“Why would you align with a guy like Dana White?” Malignaggi said. “He has such a bad reputation for being a pig with the way he pays fighters?… Dude, the guys in boxing make thirty, forty, fifty, sixty million dollars a fight. You’re gonna bring in a pig like this who has this reputation?”, the former pugilist added with concern. 

Now, the question is, ‘is this concern legit’ or is it just smoke without a fire?

TKO flirt with a campaign against ‘Ali Act’

That was a trick question. Any seasoned outdoorsman would tell you there is never any smoke without fire.

To add to the dubious fighter pay haunting the UFC, its parent company, the TKO Group, recently hinted at a potential lobbying against the ‘Ali Act’.

“We’re starting to talk about boxing,” CEO, Ari Emanuel said at the beginning of February. “We’re kind of looking at that right now. I think you’ve got the Ali Act that hurt it. Hopefully who knows what’s going to happen with the Ali Act? And then Dana (White) has a plan for boxing. We’ll see.”

The Ali Act protects boxing’s current revenue-sharing system, which allows fighters more autonomy over the money made from the matches they are involved in. It also ensures that they are not signed to long and coercive contracts. So, if anyone is feeling a bit nervous, it would be wise to take them seriously.