Breaking: Dana White Denies Rumors The UFC Will Buy Top Rank; Bob Arum Reacts
Dana White has dismissed suggestions that the UFC is interested in buying Top Rank.
According to Rick Glaser, Top Rank is in the final process of selling to Endeavor. Top Rank was formed in 1996, but Glaser claimed Arum was retiring at 92. But those rumors have been shut down by White.
The news comes after the UFC and WWE’S merger to form TKO Group Holdings, Inc. The CEO of the UFC previously spoke about entering into the sport of boxing. White put on one of the sport’s biggest events when Conor McGregor took on Floyd Mayweather Jr. The fight sold a reported 4.2 million PPVs, making it a huge success. Since then, White has not entered the sport. But he did hint he would be open if the opportunity arose, given what he saw as a decline in boxing.
White On Boxing
“I’m still kicking the tires and looking around and it’s very complicated, you know the sport’s such a mess, it’s literally a mess and to pull it off you have to actually get in there and clean it up you know. I’ve been working on this for years and I don’t know, we’ll see what happens,” White said
The chances of the merger happening are slim. The merger between the WWE and the UFC only became official this September. Until the figures show how well the company is doing, it would be a massive risk. The UFC is also facing an anti-trust lawsuit from several fighters. They have alleged the UFC formed a monopoly to control how much fighters could make, thus breaking anti-trust laws and taking advantage.
Arum Reacts
Bob Arum has also dismissed suggestions that his company will be sold. The sport of boxing has seen a huge shift this year. Showtime’s exit from the sport left a big concern over the industry. Their stable of fighters were left without a network, only for PBC to announce their new Amazon Prime Video deal. The deal allows PBC to explore a 167 million subscriber base.
“As we evolve our strategy to more efficiently allocate resources and align our content offering across the business, we’ve made the difficult decision not to move forward with boxing and other content produced by the SHOWTIME sports team. SHOWTIME will continue to air and support the remaining 2023 boxing slate boxing slate and honor obligations through the end of the year,” Showtime
“We are thrilled to join with Premier Boxing Champions to bring the best boxers in the world to Prime Video, and to give more fans than ever the chance to experience these must-see events. With live coverage of PBC action throughout the calendar year, Prime Video continues to bring viewers in the U.S. and around the world the best in sports,” Marie Donoghue (VP, U.S. sports content and partnerships for Amazon)
The rise of Saudi Arabia in boxing has also increased the profile of the sport. Their ‘Day of Reckoning’ card was a massive success. Six of the eight fights were stoppages, showing that Saudi is the home of boxing for now. And with Tyson Fury facing Oleksandr Usyk on February 17th, 2024, for the undisputed heavyweight championship, the sport is in a good place. But any chances of Arum walking away have been shut down.
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