Dana White is considering entering the boxing industry, with TKO’s parent company, Endeavor, seriously exploring the move despite challenges posed by the Ali Act and previous delays.
Dana White might just dive into boxing soon. For years, he’s been vocal about his desire to "fix" the sport. Yet, until now, not much has really happened on that front.
On Friday, there was an interesting twist. Ari Emanuel, who’s White’s boss and CEO of Endeavor and TKO, made an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show. He spilled some beans: TKO is seriously considering stepping into the boxing ring.
“We’re starting to talk about boxing,” Emanuel mentioned. “We’re kind of looking at that right now.” He even brought up the Ali Act, which he thinks has been a hurdle. “Hopefully, who knows what’s going to happen with the Ali Act,” he added. Dana apparently has a plan. Intriguing, right?
But there’s a mountain of work ahead. Emanuel admitted, “A lot of wood that’s got to be chopped there.” They seem pretty serious about it though.
So, what’s this Ali Act? It’s a law that protects boxers by making promoters disclose revenue and limiting contract lengths. Importantly, it keeps title belts and rankings separate from promoters. The UFC isn’t keen on extending it to MMA fighters; it’d shake up their business model. Some say this difference is why Dana’s had a tough time breaking into boxing.
Despite the hurdles, Dana’s had some recent moves in boxing. He linked up with Callum Walsh and streamed his fight on UFC Fight Pass. Afterward, Dana vowed to charge into boxing full force by 2025. Seems like he’s sticking to that plan!