Turki Alalshikh has got the boxing world talking again after his partnership with TKO, the parent company of the UFC and the WWE. Dana White had been teasing this news for a few weeks now, as he revealed that he is planning on making a move into the boxing world. Boxing is the UFC president’s first love, and it is a sport he has competed in as well. So it only makes sense that he is going into it, trying to bring the UFC’s rankings model into the sport.
Although the collaboration has raised a lot of eyebrows, it is a positive step for the future of boxing. If there is one area of criticism, it came from Ariel Helwani in a recent episode of The Ariel Helwani Show. The UFC analyst spoke about how, partnering with Ring Magazine over the likes of the WBA and the WBC may not have been the best choice for TKO.
According to Helwani, belts like the WBA have a storied history with legendary champions, and that in itself can be a selling point. Boxing history is sacred for ardent fans of the sport and Helwani claims it is something that the Ring Magazine title is lacking.
So naturally, Turki Alalshikh, the man behind this deal, had to come out and defend the belt saying, “We have a belt … it is only 103 years old. It is the same belt Rocky won and Joe Louis and even Muhammad Ali who you mention.”
We have a belt … it is only 103 years old. It is the same belt Rocky won and Joe Louis and even Muhammad Ali who you mention. https://t.co/EhHgAtUIzN
— TURKI ALALSHIKH (@Turki_alalshikh) March 5, 2025
The Ring was founded in 1922, the same year it started awarding it’s own version of a lineal championship to fighters. Since then, the likes of Joe Frazier, Muhammad Ali, Sonny Liston, Canelo Alvarez, and Tyson Fury have held the belt in different weight classes. So although the Ring Magazine title may not be as old or as storied as the WBA title, to say that it does not have any history would be an understatement.
With multiple Hall of Famers having held the belt over the years, the belt is as legitimate as they come. And it will be a driving factor in the new league that Dana White with the help of TKO aim to create.
So what exactly is this new partnership between TKO, Turki Alalshikh, and The Ring Magazine? What can fans expect to see from the league in the future and what do we know about it so far?
TKO, Turki Alalshikh and Ring Magazine partnership explained
Dana White is setting out to ‘Make Boxing Great Again’ with the help of Turki Alalshikh, who has been at the forefront of a massive shift in the world of boxing, seeing Saudi Arabia as the new fight capital of the world. At the advice of Alalshikh, the Kingdom has invested billions of dollars into the sport, trying to bring it back to it’s original glory.
Well, that’s exactly what Dana White and TKO are looking to do as well. But the methods they want to use are very different. What White plans on doing is creating a sort of league, basically taking the UFC blueprint and applying it to boxing. So how does that change things up?
BOOOOOOM!!!!! Boxing here we come pic.twitter.com/XBRBT5mr3P
— danawhite (@danawhite) March 5, 2025
For starters, there will be a consistent ranking system, similar to that of the UFC with a Top 10, as well as the #1 contender in the division. Another major change that White promises will take place is the best fighters against the best. The league will not let its fighters cherry-pick opponents, ensuring that the best fights are made in the division.
The announcement made boxing fans ecstatic as it marks the end of the superficial titles that the world bodies create within a division. Now, there will only be one main belt along with an interim belt and the fighters have to make their way up the rankings to secure a title shot.
