Dana White Questions Turki Alalshikh’s Involvement In Boxing – ‘This Guy Has Unlimited Amounts Of Money’
Dana White remains uncertain about boxing’s future despite Saudi Arabia’s involvement.
The Saudis have produced some of the biggest fights in recent times. Fans have seen Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua face off against Francis Ngannou. On May 18, Fury will also take on Oleksandr Usyk for the Undisputed Heavyweight Championship.
This will be followed by Dmitry Bivol vs Artur Beterbiev for the Undisputed Light Heavyweight Championship. Turki Alalshikh’s investment in the sport has gotten White’s attention. However, the CEO of the UFC remains skeptical about the future of boxing.
White Reacts
“Turki Alalshikh, so this guy now has unlimited amounts of money. He’s trying to make the best possible fights that you could make. It’s gonna be interesting to see what he does over the next several years,” White said
There is a danger that boxing becomes too reliant on the Middle East. This could damage the sport in the UK and the US, which is traditionally known as the ‘Mecca of boxing.’ It may also create a situation where boxers hold out for bigger paydays, leaving more fighters inactive and demanding unrealistic purses. However, this compromise may have to be made since fans are seeing the biggest fights.
Elsewhere, Dana White went out of his way to back Joe Rogan up after the commentator almost lost his job in 2022.
Rogan is known for being one of the most popular commentators in the UFC. He has forged a close relationship with White, which almost ended in 2022. Question marks emerged over Rogan’s behaviour when footage showed him making various slurs circulated on social media.
That resulted in Spotify almost pulling the plug on his podcast. Dana White stood by Rogan after claiming he would be let go by the UFC. White threatened to resign in protest, saying he would go out of his way for Rogan.
White On Rogan
“Anybody who is with me, has been with me, knows. When you’re with me, you’re with me, it’s a two-way street. It’s not a one-way street. I’m one of these guys that is just going to roll over. It’s like going through COVID, I wasn’t laying any of these people off. Some of these people have been with me for 20 years, we’re going to lay them off?
“It’s just never, none of that kind of stuff is going to happen while I’m here. I can’t say what’s going to happen when I leave. But when I’m here, the people who are with me and have been with me, they know exactly what’s up. Joe knows what’s up, and again it’s a two-way street. Joe Rogan has been very loyal to me. I am very loyal to Joe Rogan,” White said
The UFC’s brand has continued to grow, with a record revenue posted in 2023. White and Rogan have contributed to that, as the UFC continues to be the most popular combat sport. Find all the latest boxing news and MMA breaking updates on boxingnews.com.
