When someone’s been running the show in one of the most brutal sports on the planet for over 20 years, you’d think they’d be ready to kick back, sip something cold, and enjoy the empire they’ve built. But not Dana White. At 55, instead of slowing down, the UFC boss decided to dive headfirst into another combat sport that’s been calling his name for years—boxing.
With White’s track record, it was never going to be a quiet entrance. The moment he made his move, old beefs resurfaced—Oscar De La Hoya weren’t exactly sending congratulatory texts.
But here’s the twist: not everyone is throwing punches. In fact, one unexpected voice has stepped up in support—none other than former UFC light heavyweight champion Rampage Jackson.
Quinton “Rampage” Jackson‘s relationship with the UFC has always been considered rocky at best. From pay disputes to White accusing him of being “juiced to the gills” ahead of UFC 86 fight against Forrest Griffin, the pair have bickered to hell and back. But as far as this new adventure into boxing is concerned, Jackson is siding with his old boss.
In an interview with FightHype, Jackson spoke about the contentious subject and said, “People think that MMA guys don’t make that much and boxing guys make more than MMA, that is not the case.”
But that’s not it. He also claimed having nothing but love in his heart for White and added, “Dana White coming over to boxing, I am hoping it is a good thing because… anything that he does, I am always rooting for him.”
Unfortunately, with White’s track record in dealing with fighters and competitors, not everyone wishes the best for the UFC boss. But some are happy to let him understand the underbelly of the world he’s stepping into.
While White has essentially established a monopoly in MMA with the UFC, he will find it difficult to do so in pugilism. There will be some resistance, to say the least.
Eddie Hearn’s advice to White
The Matchroom Boxing boss has always had a decent relationship with the UFC boss. At least on public forums.
However, with White, along with Turki Alalshikh and the TKO group, claiming that they want to take boxing away from multiple titles and bring everything under one umbrella, one attached to their being, Hearn has asked them to hold on tight.
“Boxing is the worst business in the world,” Hearn said. “I hope these guys have the appetite to be up all f—— night and sleep with one eye open every single day”, he warned.
According to Hearn, the chaos of boxing isn’t something you can just organize like the UFC. “You’re not going to get control where you can go to bed at 10 o’clock and wake up at 8 expecting everything to be the same,” added Hearn.
“It doesn’t work like that. Every f—— is out there hustling every single day. Guess what? I’m one of them.”
White has already received questions about an allegedly proposed pay for the collaboration’s first boxing card, with some boxers getting paid as little as $20,000. And it’s unlikely that this is going to be the only one of his problems.
