After flirting with the idea for several years, Dana White has decided that the time is right to try his hand in boxing.
White, who is in Dublin this weekend to witness Irish boxer Callum Walsh’s debut inside the 3Arena, has previously explored the idea of launching ‘Zuffa Boxing’ — an offshoot of the previous ownership group of the UFC. However, White would ultimately pull back after admitting in recent years that the venture had prompted more headaches than he believed worthwhile.
But speaking to the media Thursday night, White said that he is finally ready to devote the necessary energy to his boxing brand — but stopped short of revealing too many details.
“There will be some big announcements soon,” White said of the venture. “Let me tell you, if you know anything about me and look at anything I ever said, I never say anything that I don’t do, ever.
“I’ve never said anything like that and 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, who isn’t promoting the unbeaten Walsh’s main event showdown with Poland’s Przemyslaw Runowski this weekend, also noted his thanks to Frank and George Warren, who stepped aside from their exclusivity deal with a UK broadcaster to allow the fight be aired to a wide audience.
“And I have to give a big thanks to Frank and George Warren,” he said. “They gave up their exclusivity on TNT Sports for this to air on TNT in the UK. The Warrens are absolute class acts for giving these platforms an opportunity to fight on a platform like this.”
“The scumbag Bob Arum and his son Todd Duboef didn’t do the same,” he added. “So they’re pieces of sh*t. I wanted to thank the Warrens, you guys are classy and I really appreciate it.”