After months of insults, six low-key shows and endless promises, Dana White, the boss at the UFC, has finally left his Las Vegas citadel and taken Zuffa Boxing on the road.
The new boxing promotional company has bypassed New York (that is coming soon), London and Riyadh, and landed instead in the quaint British seaside town of Bournemouth this Saturday. There will be ice cream, “kiss-me-quick” hats and deckchairs in the promos. Trust me.
The card is a lot of fun, with local idol Chris Billam-Smith in a real fight with Ryan Rozicki and about six quality boxers on the undercard; Billam-Smith is a genuine sell-out attraction in his hometown and one of Zuffa’s most-attractive signings.
White has been challenging boxing’s traditional promoters to do better for over a decade; his mantra has been simple: “boxing is broken”. White is here to fix it and to do so with his partner, Turki Alalshikh, who is arguably the most powerful and influential figure in boxing. They certainly have the pockets to make that a justifiable threat. However, in boxing it is impossible to buy experience.
So far, the six shows have been underwhelming, and that is not a criticism; it is a fact. The show on Saturday is the best by far and the future shows will inevitably improve. Zuffa, after all, does have an aggressive signing policy. A lot of boxers, trainers and managers are talking about Zuffa’s arrival in the UK. White has a new TV deal with Sky and a lucrative partnership with Paramount in the USA.
It was back in February when the shock news was made public that Conor Benn had signed for Zuffa; it was for one fight, and he had reportedly been guaranteed a fee of $15m dollars. The money for the deal came from Alalshikh’s pocket; Benn had been closely associated with Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing for his entire professional career. It was a stunning development, a brilliant piece of business by White and Zuffa.
It sent a message that no boxer was safe from Zuffa’s ambitions. Benn has fought once, signed a longer-term contract, and the ugliness from the fallout rumbles on. White missed Benn’s Zuffa debut because of his commitment to the UFC.
Hearn and White had exchanged a difference of opinions before the Benn defection, but the aftermath turned personal and ugly – and, it has to be said, entertaining. The pair have talked of having a fight in the ring and a purse of $25m dollars has been mentioned. It is more than pantomime; there is real animosity.
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At this point, Hearn is well in front, but later this week White lands in the UK for Saturday’s fight night and will, no doubt, want to change the pendulum swing.
It seems that the plan to fix boxing’s “broken system” is to acquire as many boxers as possible, sign them to strict contracts, and have them fight each other for the chance to win a Zuffa belt; so far two world champions, who have joined Zuffa, have lost their world titles outside the ring.
The league system is something that Alalshikh has talked about since launching the first Riyadh season night in October 2023. There has also been bold talk about “crushing” boxing’s existing powers. It all makes for competition and headlines.
On Saturday night, Zuffa arrives and Billam-Smith and his south-coast following will give them a fine welcome party. The future is less certain for the new boys.
