Boxing may soon welcome a new promotion. Not entirely new, though. Dana White has been in the combat sports business for the last 32 years. He transformed the UFC from a small $2 million business into a $10 billion behemoth. White could bring similar success to boxing, particularly with the backing of His Excellency Turki Alalshikh. Together, they may reshape the traditional structure of a sport that has long been defined by its conventions.

Introducing significant changes, HE Alalshikh and Riyadh Season have already made notable strides in boxing. Their efforts have brought some of the most high-profile fights in recent years to the forefront. Speaking with Carl Froch, HE Alalshikh roped in a Floyd Mayweather example and hinted at potential transformations. With Dana White’s involvement, fans can expect notable changes in the sport moving forward.

HE Turki Alalshikh: Changing Perspectives on Losses in Boxing

On Froch’s channel, HE Alalshikh shared his views on a possible matchup between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua, both of whom have suffered recent losses. For Alalshikh, the key question was whether both fighters were focused and determined enough to make the historic clash happen.

“We must now, uh, be, uh, normal, uh, to be, uh, normal, uh, to have losing some fights in the boxing,” he said. The Riyadh Season pointed out that most fighters dream of maintaining an undefeated record like Floyd Mayweather Jr. However, such records are rare, and phenomena like Mayweather’s success come along only once in a generation. “All the fighters want similar to the career of (Floyd)Mayweather – zero losses. This can happen one time every 50/60/70 years,” the Saudi Royal contended.

Citing Muhammad Ali‘s example, HE Alalshikh said, “We need like the UFC model now, where the champions are losing and winning. Muhammad Ali lost five times and he’s still the legend.”

New vision for boxing and Dana White’s arrival

A recent report by The New York Times revealed that a team from Saudi Arabia is in talks with TKO Holdings, the parent company of UFC, to create a new boxing league. It’s been suggested for long. Rather than having separate governing bodies, the idea of consolidating boxing under one unified organization, similar to the UFC, sounds appealing to many. This consolidation would simplify the sport for fans. For promoters, it could also become easy to organize major fights that appeal to the audience.

Dana White’s involvement in boxing isn’t entirely new. Despite his focus on mixed martial arts, the UFC president has long been enthusiastic about the sport. In the past, he played a significant role in promoting the mega-fight between Conor McGregor and Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Last year, White expanded his partnership with Riyadh Season. The ‘Riyadh Season Noche UFC’ in Las Vegas became the highest-grossing event in UFC history. White also made his formal entry into boxing with the launch of ‘UFC Fight Pass,’ which featured Callum Walsh in the main event in Dublin, Ireland, in September. Speaking with the media, White reportedly said, “We’ve been kicking the whole boxing thing around for a long time, but you’ve never heard me commit and say ‘I’m in’. Well, I’m in.”

With his vast experience and innovative approach, Dana White could introduce groundbreaking concepts to boxing. His involvement may open new opportunities for young fighters who often face long waits for major bouts, ultimately benefiting the sport as a whole.

Floyd Mayweather record unlikely to be repeated in new era

Boxing is on the brink of a transformative era, with UFC President Dana White and His Excellency Turki Alalshikh working to reshape the sport.

White, known for turning the UFC into a $10 billion global powerhouse, is now partnering with Alalshikh and Riyadh Season to reimagine boxing. Together, they aim to simplify the sport’s structure and create new opportunities for fighters and fans.

Redefining success: Normalizing losses in boxing

Alalshikh noted that many fighters aspire to replicate Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s 50-0 record, but he emphasized that such perfection is extremely rare.

“All the fighters want similar to the career of Mayweather – zero losses. This can happen one time every 50/60/70 years,” he said.

Instead, Alalshikh pointed to Muhammad Ali, who lost five times but remains a legendary figure. He argued for a model similar to the UFC, where champions can lose and still be celebrated.

“We must now be normal to have losing some fights in boxing,” he stated, emphasizing that losses shouldn’t overshadow a fighter’s overall legacy.

Reports suggest Saudi Arabia is in talks with TKO Holdings, the UFC’s parent company, to establish a unified boxing league. This would bring the fragmented sport under one umbrella, streamlining governance and making major fights easier to organize.

Dana White’s passion for boxing isn’t new, but his recent commitment marks a turning point. Through UFC Fight Pass, he has already hosted boxing events, including a Callum Walsh-headlined bout in Dublin.

“We’ve been kicking the whole boxing thing around for a long time, but you’ve never heard me commit and say, ‘I’m in.’ Well, I’m in,” White declared

The vision of White and Alalshikh could lead to a more accessible and dynamic boxing world. A unified league would simplify the sport for fans while offering fighters more frequent opportunities to compete. Young talents, often sidelined due to the sport’s fragmented structure, would particularly benefit from this new approach.

By combining White’s innovative strategies with Alalshikh’s commitment to elevating the sport, boxing could see a renaissance. This partnership promises to redefine success, break down barriers, and bring fresh energy to a sport steeped in tradition.

Floyd Mayweather is regarded as the Greatest of All Time boxer, but Roy Jones Jr. offers his unfiltered thoughts on the claim.

Roy Jones Jr. and Floyd Mayweather Jr.are two boxing legends who have left an indelible mark on the sport. Both are widely regarded as the best pound-for-pound fighters of their respective eras, sparking endless debates about who truly deserves the title of “Greatest of All Time” (GOAT).

Mayweather, with his perfect 50-0 record, is considered by many to be the greatest pound-for-pound boxer in history. His impenetrable defense and ability to control the pace of a fight made him a unique spectacle. Additionally, his career was marked by extraordinary commercial success, with four of the five highest-grossing pay-per-view events in boxing history.

However, Roy Jones Jr., an undisputed champion across four weight classes, holds a different opinion. In an interview with Real Lyfe Productions, when asked if he considered Mayweather the GOAT, Jones Jr. gave a simple but emphatic response: “No.”

Criticism of Mayweather’s career

Jones Jr. explained that while he respects Mayweather’s undefeated record, he believes other boxers have had more impressive careers. “You got to respect anything a person does to stay undefeated that long. I respect it to a degree, yeah. Is it a 50-0 that I think he’s the greatest fighter of all time? Nah. [Julio César] Chávez went 80-0 at one point. 80. You gonna ever top that? No. He just didn’t stop. [Floyd] got to 50-0 and stopped because of Rocky Marciano. Rocky died. If he wouldn’t have died, he probably would’ve kept going too,” Jones Jr. noted.

Jones Jr. on Conor McGregor as Mayweather’s final opponent

Jones Jr. also criticized Mayweather’s choice of Conor McGregor as his final opponent. “And then, at the end, you fight a guy who’s 0-0. How can I respect that? Conor McGregor was 0-0 and they let you do that? So what pisses me off is I’ve had fights that I’ve tried to promote in Vegas at that time with that same commission. They wouldn’t let a 13-5 guy fight with a 13-0 guy, but you would let an 0-0 fight a 49-0? That shows you that it’s all about the money.”