LAS VEGAS — UFC boss Dana White and boxing financier Turki Alalshikh will proceed to collaborate past the UFC Noche present at The Sphere in Las Vegas.
World Boxing Information has steadily spoken to White in current months about its UFC Noche occasion, UFC 306, on the Strip’s latest $2.3 billion mega venue. Manufacturing prices have already spiraled to $20 million, White instructed us, but the market-leading MMA agency offset this by bringing in Riyadh Season to sponsor the present.
White instructed WBN final week that UFC 306 card on September 14 — Riyadh Season’s third US present in as little as seven weeks — would seemingly be the primary of many partnerships involving his firm, and Alalshikh.
He was loath, although, to elaborate on what that partnership would appear like, going ahead, after we requested for extra info.
On the UFC Apex on Tuesday, WBN once more requested White about Alalshikh, and whether or not there was one space specifically that UFC could possibly be of help to Riyadh Season — the rumored boxing league.
Having introduced rival promoters Frank Warren and Eddie Hearn collectively, and thru his sponsorship agreements with Prime Rank and Golden Boy Promotions, a doable subsequent step for Alalshikh is the creation of a boxing league that pits the largest names in boxing in opposition to each other.
One WBN supply with information of the scenario instructed us that Saudi Arabia hopes to make the idea a actuality in 2025.
May the UFC assist Alalshikh with the creation of this boxing league, we requested White, underneath the TKO Group?
“Something is feasible,” he stated, barely capable of comprise a smile, earlier than ending the dialog.
It’s the newest assertion White has made relating to the doable way forward for TKO, the guardian group for WWE, which is the market-leading professional wrestling agency, and UFC, which is, by far, the largest participant within the MMA trade.
Relating to fight sports activities and sports activities leisure there’s a clear boxing-shaped gap at TKO.
We requested White in 2023 whether or not there’d be room for a boxing enterprise on the $23 billion firm, contemplating the ability it has in boxing wrestling, and MMA, and he stated sure.
Contemplating rising Irish tremendous middleweight boxer Callum Walsh competes on Tom Loeffler’s 360 Promotions occasions, which UFC Combat Cross broadcasts, there’s an apparent place to begin to any boxing enterprise that TKO and White may launch.
White instructed us earlier in the summertime that he will get behind Walsh as a result of he’s a very good child, and that as a promoter he’s merely having fun with the trip.
Although he wants no second invitation to trash the game of boxing, having spoken to him over the past three years in Las Vegas, it’s clear that if there’s a doable entrance into one thing appreciable within the sport, then he’d become involved.
A boxing league at the side of Alalshikh could be his gateway.
Alan Dawson is World Boxing Information Lead Author, a 2 x Sports activities Journalist of the 12 months finalist, and 5 x BWAA awards winner. Observe Alan @AlanDawsonSport.
