Dana White’s been on the “boxing is broken” tour longer than half the fighters’ careers. Every few years he pops up saying he’ll save the sweet science, then ducks out because, in his words, it’s “too broken.” Now he’s back with Netflix money, Turki Alalshikh’s backing, and the same sermon: only he can save boxing.
This weekend he’s hitching his name to Canelo vs Crawford, telling Vegas PBS, “Basically, in 2026, I’m going to start my show, and what I’m going to do is basically like Contender Series. The best will fight the best, undefeated guys will fight undefeated guys.” Great, Dana. Because when two 5-0 prospects meet, the world definitely stops spinning.
“You Will Care About the First Fight of the Night” — Oh Will We?
White promised, “What you will do is you will care about the first fight of the night, and not just the main event.” Right. Because the guy who’s been selling MMA undercards filled with future accountants and part-time baristas suddenly thinks fans will be emotionally invested in a 4–0 featherweight fighting a 3–0 plumber.
He added, “I will build stars, put on great fights, and then these guys will graduate and fight with Sheik Turki.” Translation: Dana does the babysitting, Turki cashes the checks. Imagine flexing about being someone else’s development league.
“This is a Busted Sport” — But He’s Got the Glue
White said, “There’s no ego or arrogance when I talk about getting into boxing and trying to ‘fix it.’ This is a busted sport.” Which is hilarious, because nothing screams “no ego” like comparing yourself to the NFL and NBA every five minutes. “What we did with the UFC is turn the UFC into an NFL, an NBA,” he bragged.
The only hiccup? That pesky Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act — the law that stops promoters from owning the whole circus. White’s crew tried pushing the “Ali Revival Act” to gut it, but the California State Athletic Commission pulled support after public outrage. So now Dana’s NFL dream is being held hostage by the same law that protects boxers from being treated like UFC fighters. Karma’s undefeated.
Dana vs. Hearn and Warren: Future Comedy Hour
White softened his tone (for now): “Eddie Hearn is a great promoter. He’s very successful and, in my opinion, he’s a good guy. I like him very much. You’ve got Frank Warren out in the UK, who is very successful and does well.” Translation: he hasn’t started burying them yet. Give it a year before he calls Eddie “a TikTok salesman” and Warren “a fossil.”
And yes, he claims, “Right now we probably have between 60 and 70 fighters under contract.” That’s not the NFL of boxing, Dana. That’s a regional promoter with a mid-life crisis.
Final Word
So here’s where we’re at: Dana White says he’ll fix boxing, again, by 2026. He’ll run his little Contender Series, “graduate” fighters to Turki’s empire, and compare himself to the NBA every time a microphone shows up. Meanwhile, the Ali Act is standing at the door like a bouncer saying, “Not tonight, champ.”
Will he succeed? Doubtful. But watching Dana White ram his head against boxing’s brick wall might be the funniest fight of them all.
Last Updated on 09/10/2025
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