Bob Arum talks about UFC president Dana White’s planned venture into boxing.
UFC president Dana White recently announced his planned venture into boxing promotion. The long-time MMA promoter basically believes the current crop of boxers would enjoy fighting under the WME/Zuffa umbrella.
Rival promoter Bob Arum, however, thinks White has other reasons for getting into this new endeavor.
“Who gives a sh-t about White, he’s a piece of crap,” Arum told reporters on Saturday night after the Vasyl Lomachenko-Guillermo Rigondeaux fight in New York City.
“It’s an acknowledgment how strong boxing is. He has the UFC that’s cratering, and he needs boxing to save himself.”
Arum and White have been at odds over the years, throwing shade at each other through media interviews. But even so, the Top Rank Promotions chief says he welcomes the idea of White as a boxing promoter.
“If Dana White started promoting boxing, it would be terrific,” Arum said. “Because it would show what we have now proven that boxing is not an old man’s sport, that our demographics are young. We’ve been up against them twice, and we’re up against them now for the third time, but a leveled playing field. Free television (on) ESPN, free television (on) FOX and FS1, and a lot of kids don’t have premium television because they can’t afford $15 a month.”
“So when we have a leveled playing field, we beat the pants off them, not only just overall rating but the demographics that everybody is looking for.”
Save for crashed streaming broadcasts on UFC Fight Pass, White’s first dip into big ticket boxing promotion during the August 26th fight between Conor McGregor and Floyd Mayweather Jr. was still a financial success, with the event drawing a live gate total of $55 million.