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Around the time of the Mayweather-McGregor spectacle, UFC CEO Dana White also expressed interest in getting involved in boxing. At the time, he planned to ‘break’ and ‘rebuild’ the sport using the UFC’s business model.
Last year, White officially gave up on this plan. But during Saturday’s UFC 295 post-fight presser, the UFC boss reignited the conversation, partially revealing some new plans.
Dana White reveals new plans for boxing involvement
A reporter asked Dana White about a possible involvement in boxing, and he responded by giving props to 360 Promotions Tom Loeffler.
White also plans to leverage the absence of HBO Boxing and Showtime Sports, both of which were two of the prominent names in broadcasting.
“Right now, I like Tom Loeffler. I like his show. I like his matchmaking,” White told media members in attendance.
“HBO’s out, Showtime’s out. And I’mma use UFC Fight Pass to sort of be… I’m gonna be the network. That’s what I’m gonna be.”
Further reports shed light on Dana White’s plans, stating that he will likely follow the format of his Contender Series. The show features up-and-coming talents allowed to prove themselves for a coveted contract.
Dana White gave up on his Zuffa Boxing plans in 2022
Just last year, Dana White was already looking to throw in the towel. He described the business aspect of the sport as ‘broken’ and saw no actionable solutions to provide a long-term fix.
“Every time I try to think about doing something with boxing, I go, ‘Why would I want to do this to myself? Why would I even want to dive into this nightmare?’
“That’s why I haven’t really done anything. It’s a broken business that is an absolute nightmare to try to fix.”
One of White’s problems with boxing is how he says fighters are ‘overpaid.’
“Every time they put on a fight, it’s a ‘Going Out of Business’ sale. You know what I mean? ‘We’re just trying to get as much fucking money as we can from you guys, and then we’re out of here, and we’ll see you in three years.’
“You can’t build a league like that, you can’t build a sport. You can’t have 750 fighters under contract, making money, feeding their families every year, with that kind of mentality. It doesn’t work. You have to run a business.”
Who is Tom Loeffler and 360 Promotions?
Per the company website, Loeffler’s first involvement as a promoter began in 2004 when he promoted Vitaliy Klitchko’s WBC title fight against Corrie Sanders. Seven years later, he signed another high-profile client in Gennady Golovkin under his K2 Promotions at the time.
Loeffler then founded 360 Promotions in 2017, where he bannered some marquee talents like Roman ‘Chocolatito’ Gonzalez and Juan Francisco Gonzalez.
White and Loeffler connected during a recent Lookin’ For a Fight episode in Boston, which featured one of 360’s top talents today, undefeated Irish boxer Callum Walsh.
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