Dana White and TKO have locked in a deal with Turki Alalshikh and Ring Magazine to launch a new boxing league with the aim of bringing UFC-style matchmaking to pugilism. While that may mean different things to different sets of audiences, to UFC veterans, it’s a problem-solving measure to counter top boxers’ habit of picking and choosing opponents.
Former UFC middleweight contender, Chael Sonnen, in particular, seems quite hyped up about the entire series of events and what it would transpire for the sport. Explaining how boxing was and has always been his former boss’ favorite sport, Sonnen claims White will take the sport to unprecedented heights.
White, of course, has expressed frustration with the state of boxing for years now. He’s been openly talking against the decentralized model, which, according to him, has allowed the sport to go awry. With TKO and Alalshikh at his side, he now hopes to bring all of pugilism under one banner and run it with an iron fist.
But does it truly benefit the sport? How will White solve boxing’s matchmaking problem when the heavyweight champion of his own promotion continues to refuse to fight the interim titleholder? Those questions will be asked in due course, but as of right now, Sonnen, perhaps swept up in the celebratory chaos, is happy to repeat the company slogan.
On the Good Guy/Bad Guy Show, he spoke about the supposed state of boxing and said, “I am frustrated with boxing and twice a year, watching a main event that I care about,”.
“Dana will change that, Dana will spread that, you’re gonna have multiple stars in boxing, you’re gonna have multiple storylines in boxing.”, a hopeful and visibly elated Sonnen added.
According to Sonnen, the potential for this new league is massive, but execution remains the key. Boxing has deep-rooted traditions, powerful promoters, and long-standing networks that will rightfully resist change.
Whether White and his Saudi allies will be able to bulldoze those neural pathways boxing has established over decades remains subject to debate. The only aspect of this journey that is as clear as day is that a concentrated campaign to monopolize the sport has begun with the announcement of this new league.
And appropriate matchmaking will not be the only agenda on its to-do list.
Voices within the boxing community have already been speaking up, asking questions about this collaboration, and wondering why practitioners of the sweet science would even follow in the path led by White, especially with the archaic state of revenue sharing under the MMA boss.
Former pugilist Paulie Malignaggi, for instance, does not want to see White’s influencer foul the sport he’s so proud of.
Malignaggi Sounds the Alarm on Fighter Pay
Former world champion and boxing analyst Malignaggi cited the constipated approach UFC has taken to paying their fighter in this day and age and asked, “Why would you align with a guy like Dana White who has such a bad reputation for being a PIG with the way he pays fighters?”
He is not wrong to do so, either. Earlier this week, ESPN MMA tweeted about UFC lightweight veteran Justin Gaethje having won 13 performance bonuses in the 13 fights he’s had under the promotion’s banner so far. Gaethje made his UFC debut in 2017 and, in the 8 years since, has only made $900,000 in performance bonuses for his efforts.
In the landscape of professional sports, let alone combat sports, that is considered peanuts. For reference, Lamont Roach Jr., for his WBA 135lb title fight on March 1 against Gervonta Davis, made in the ballpark of $3-$5 million.
This is not to say some UFC fighters don’t make as much or even more, but a centralized policy, without relevant competition, ensures that the number on the paycheque is decided on the whims of the brass.
And that is what Malignaggi sounds concerned about. Citing the example of another UFC champion, he said, “Francis Ngannou was the Deontay Wilder of his heavyweight division at the time. $600,000 for a main event? Dude, the guys in boxing make $30 million at that level.”
UFC fighter pay has long been a hot-button issue, with many fighters speaking out about unfair compensation. The most high-profile example is Francis Ngannou, who left the UFC as its heavyweight champion due to contract disputes and concerns over pay.
During his time at the helm of the heavyweight division at the promotion, the Cameroonian fighter campaigned for better pay, not just for himself but for other fighters. For his efforts, White still continues to publicly berate him at press conferences.
Malignaggi now joins a chorus of boxing fans who believe that if UFC-style contracts become the norm in boxing, it could drastically reduce the bargaining power athletes have over promotions, and ultimately, that is bad for the sport.
