Dana White clarifies if there will be any announcement with Turki Alalshikh this week

UFC CEO Dana White recently addressed speculation about a major announcement involving Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority (GEA) chairman, Turki Alalshikh.

White has long expressed his passion for boxing and has previously vowed to launch a boxing league under the UFC umbrella.

Recently, reports have been circulating online, suggesting that White is in talks with Alalshikh to finally kickstart the long-awaited boxing league, with an official announcement expected this week.

However, in his appearance on The Mac Life, White was asked about the potential boxing league announcement with Alalshikh. The UFC boss dismissed the rumors and blasted the media for spreading false information. He said:

"It's the problem with the media, and it's always the problem with the media. These guys get some information… You guys know how I am. If there's something to announce, we'll announce it. There will be no announcements this weekend,"

Check out Dana White's comments below (3:38):

Alalshikh has played a significant role in reviving boxing and arranging high-profile fights. For example, he was instrumental in making ‘The Battle of the Baddest’, a showdown between Francis Ngannou and Tyson Fury, happen. This blockbuster fight marked the start of the Riyadh Season in 2023 at the Kingdom Arena.

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Turki Alalshikh praises Dana White's UFC model, calls for end to boxing's 'zero losses' obsession

Turki Alalshikh, who has been tirelessly working to grow boxing as a sport, has called out fans for their obsession with undefeated records.

Speaking with Carl Froch, Alalshikh emphasized that boxing needs a model similar to Dana White’s UFC, where losses are normalized. He pointed out that undefeated boxers like Floyd Mayweather Jr. emerge only once in 50-60 years, while stars like Mike Tyson remain massively popular despite defeats.

The GEA chairman said:

“We must now have it be normal to lose some fights in boxing. All the fighters want similar to the career of Floyd Mayweather - zero losses. This can happen one time every 50/60/70 years. We need like the UFC model now, where the champions are losing and winning. Muhammad Ali lost five times and he's still the legend.”