More than six years after Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) President Dana Frederick White Jr. made a conditional statement about potentially collaborating with prominent boxing manager Al Haymon, a formal partnership between them remains unconfirmed. On December 6, 2019, White stated on The Jim Rome Show that if a deal with Floyd Mayweather Jr.
played out as planned, he would “probably sit down with Al Haymon in March and get a deal on paper.”
Dana White Al Haymon Partnership: White’s Evolving Vision for Boxing’s Future
That anticipated meeting for a formal agreement never materialized. Now, as of July 5, 2026, White has independently launched Zuffa Boxing, a new professional boxing promotion, without Haymon’s direct involvement, forging his own path into the sport’s complex landscape.
Dana White’s entry into professional boxing has been a journey marked by public skepticism and eventual aggressive action. For years, the UFC President expressed deep frustration with the sport, often calling it “screwed up and broken.” He questioned why he’d “dive into this nightmare,” reflecting significant reservations about boxing’s complexities and perceived resistance to reform.
By 2024, White’s perspective had notably shifted. He conveyed a new, aggressive intent to reshape the sport according to his own vision. White indicated he was “coming in all guns blazing,” signaling a clear move away from past hesitations to pursue his ideas without compromise.
The Launch of Zuffa Boxing Promotion
Zuffa Boxing officially launched on June 18, 2025, marking Dana White’s concrete move into the boxing world. This new professional boxing promotion is a joint venture between Sela, a Saudi Arabian entertainment conglomerate, and TKO Group Holdings, the UFC’s parent company.
Based in Las Vegas, Nevada, White serves as a promoter for the new entity. Turki bin Abdul Mohsen Al-Sheikh, a Saudi government official and co-founder of Zuffa Boxing, has also been instrumental in bringing mega boxing matches to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, highlighting the powerful alliances at play.
The collaboration with Sela, a subsidiary of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, and TKO Group Holdings brings substantial institutional backing to White’s boxing ambitions. This forms a powerful new contender in the promotional sphere, aiming to replicate the UFC’s successful, consolidated model in the traditionally fragmented boxing world.
Zuffa Boxing’s Inaugural Event and Ambitions
Zuffa Boxing wasted no time making a significant impact. Its first event, a highly anticipated clash between Canelo Álvarez and Terence Crawford, took place on September 13, 2025. This blockbuster fight was held at Allegiant Stadium in Paradise, Nevada, showcasing the promotion’s immediate aim to deliver high-profile matchups.
The successful debut of the Canelo vs. Crawford fight immediately positioned Zuffa Boxing as a major player capable of orchestrating premium events. This signals White’s aggressive strategy to challenge the sport’s established order and bring top-tier bouts to a wider audience, moving beyond his past criticisms of boxing’s fragmented nature.
“Seven Years” in Dana White’s Career Timeline
While Dana White’s conditional statement about Al Haymon was approximately 6.5 years ago, the “seven years” timeframe holds broader significance for White and the UFC. On March 21, 2019, White signed a new seven-year deal to continue as UFC president with Endeavor co-CEO Ari Emanuel, securing his leadership for the long term.
And 2026 also marks the start of the UFC’s “historic” seven-year media rights partnership with Paramount and CBS. This deal, valued at $7.7 billion, will make Paramount+ the exclusive U.S. home for all UFC events in the U.S.
It fundamentally changes their distribution model away from pay-per-view for numbered events. The partnership also includes new seasons of “Dana White’s Contender Series” and “The Ultimate Fighter” starting this year. These concurrent seven-year commitments highlight the formidable financial and media infrastructure now underpinning White’s extensive combat sports endeavors.
Al Haymon’s Enduring Influence and New Challenges
Al Haymon, a prominent American businessman and boxing manager, has been a central figure in professional boxing for decades. Born in Cleveland, Ohio, and holding a bachelor’s degree in economics and an MBA from Harvard Business School, Haymon built his early career promoting urban music acts before entering boxing around 2000.
He quickly rose to prominence by managing top fighters like Vernon Forrest and later, the legendary Floyd Mayweather Jr. Haymon has won the Al Buck Award (Manager of the Year) from the Boxing Writers Association of America multiple times, including in 2005, 2012, and 2013, solidifying his reputation in the sport.
Haymon then founded Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) in 2015, an initiative designed to bring high-level boxing back to mainstream television. PBC quickly secured significant deals with networks like NBC, CBS, Fox, and Showtime, establishing a consistent platform for the sport.
Haymon operates as an “adviser” and manager, not a promoter, to comply with the Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act, which forbids a manager from also serving as a promoter. His strategy has long centered on maintaining control over his fighters’ careers and strategically placing them in lucrative bouts, preferring autonomy over equal partnerships.
Zuffa Boxing’s entry creates a dynamic new competitive landscape. Articles from as far back as March 2018 indicated that Zuffa Boxing’s attempts to attract top boxers, even before its formal launch, signaled a direct challenge to Haymon’s long-standing supremacy. This suggests a competitive rather than cooperative relationship, as White aims to replicate the UFC’s consolidated model in the traditionally fragmented boxing world.
What This Means for Boxing’s Future
The independent rise of Zuffa Boxing, backed by the substantial resources of Sela and TKO Group Holdings, could herald a significant shift for the boxing industry. This new player, led by Dana White, possesses the financial muscle and media platform to potentially reshape how major fights are put together and delivered to fans globally.
This dynamic could foster a period of intense competition among promoters, potentially leading to more compelling matchups as entities vie for top talent and audience attention. Fans could see more super-fights, like a Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua bout, come to fruition.
However, it also raises questions about market concentration. As larger, well-funded players like Zuffa Boxing assert their presence, smaller promotions and independent fighters might face increased pressure. This could alter the competitive balance within the sport, potentially consolidating power among a select few entities capable of operating at this scale.
White’s Uncharted Path in Boxing Promotion
From a conditional statement about a potential partnership with Al Haymon in late 2019, Dana Frederick White Jr. has charted an unexpected course into professional boxing. His journey demonstrates a pivot from critical observer to a formidable promoter, now backed by the extensive resources of TKO Group Holdings and Saudi Arabian partner Sela through Zuffa Boxing.
The absence of a formal alliance with Haymon, despite White’s earlier remarks, underscores his determination to build his own vision for boxing. As Zuffa Boxing progresses with its ambitious calendar, White is clearly set on leaving his indelible mark on the sport, operating strictly on his own terms and leveraging his expanded combat sports empire.
