They first met in person just over a year ago in Riyadh, but Dana White and Turki Alalshikh are already inseparable business colleagues ready to change boxing forever. The American, under the umbrella of TKO Group (the parent company that owns UFC and WWE), created Zuffa Boxing, while the Saudi executive acquired the The Ring brand and created the event promotion company Sela. These are the names of the companies that will be talked about most in boxing in the near future and their logos will become familiar.
Yesterday, Paramount announced a partnership with Zuffa Boxing to broadcast 12 boxing events on Paramount+ in 2026 and expects more in the years to come. In August, UFC signed a deal with Paramount for the next seven years for a total of $7.7 billion, so it seems that Dana White is entrusting himself to the company that owns CBS, the most-watched network in the United States.
Let’s remember that Zuffa Boxing made its promotional debut with the fight between Canelo and Crawford, a success in many ways. Alalshkih said: “This partnership with Paramount reinforces our vision to redefine the way viewers enjoy boxing.” Dana White said: “Paramount will be the home for UFC and boxing fans to watch the best fights in combat sports.”
With the television deal in hand, the boxing league is already underway and we will have more details soon. What White did confirm in an interview with CBS Sports is that he will only recognize Zuffa and The Ring belts in the new competition. The president confirmed that he will not recognize the belts of the governing bodies: IBF, WBA, WBC and WBO
He also revealed that most of the fighters in his league will be prospects. It is understood that through the league, they will be able to access big money fights as part of the Riyadh Season (also run by Turki Alalshikh), with the collaboration of the classic promoters. Perhaps in a short space of time, Zuffa’s own league will end up absorbing the Riyadh Season fights, as the UFC boss wants a similar model to the one he has in MMA. Every fight night requires a fight that sells itself.
There will be a Zuffa belt and a The Ring belt. And yes, I will not recognize any other regulatory body
Dana White was blunt: “There will be a Zuffa belt and a The Ring belt. And yes, I will not recognize any other regulatory body. I’m based on the UFC model. I hear a lot of people say, ‘It will never work.’ Well, we’ll know in the next few years,” he said. We’ll see what happens with the lifelong organizations, those that have historically distributed world titles. It is shocking, at the moment, that The Ring belt could go to the hands of prospects, because its history does not go there and it is also the insignia provided by Turki Alalshikh. In any case, there are many details yet to be revealed.
The Muhammad Ali Act
Let’s also be clear: there will be no change to the Muhammad Ali Act. Not a single word of the Muhammad Ali Act will be changed. We are going to add improvements to it. So, boxers who want to fight under the Muhammad Ali Act as it stands, will have the opportunity to do so. Or they can bet on me and fight with me under our version of the Muhammad Ali Act. So this has been exaggerated a lot, and I understand that, and I knew that people were going to get hysterical, because that’s what people do.
The promoters don’t think big enough. I think much bigger than any of them, no matter how much they want to compete with me
The American businessman added on this subject: “That was implemented with good intentions, but I think it has stifled the business. And like I said before, these guys, all these guys who have been in boxing for a long time, the promoters, don’t think big enough. I think much bigger than any of them, as much as they want to compete with me.” In light of all this, it seems that White will eventually try to minimize the power of the big classic promoters.
The UFC model is sensible, but make no mistake: its main goal is to make money for all its partners. Many fighters over the years have complained about their cut salaries compared to what they generate, so the tale of romanticism should not be swallowed and not everyone has to go through the same hoop. When UFC fighters want to box, there must be a reason. Remember that the purse that Canelo and Crawford shared is comparable to what the UFC distributes in a year among all its fighters.
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