Despite not being on good terms with Dana White, MMA insider hails potential of TKO's new boxing promotion: "What's there to criticize?"

Dana White and Turki Alalshikh have been making headlines lately for the launch of the TKO Boxing Promotion, with many being intrigued by the new promotion's plans going forward. This curiosity extends to arguably the most prominent member of the combat sports media space and someone who has had a historically contentious relationship with White, to say the least.

Ariel Helwani recently spoke about this joint effort between White and Alalshikh for this TKO Boxing Promotion. Speaking on his podcast, The Ariel Helwani Show, Helwani said:

"The game plan, if you will, the blue print, yeah I think it's a pretty damn good one. Four mega shows with mega fights at the top. Populate the card with your week-to-week, day-to-day fighters."

"Big time distribution. Endless funds. A willingness to promote and build from the ground up. Brilliant minds who have been a part of the fight game for decades. What's there to criticize?"

Check out Ariel Helwani's thoughts on the looming TKO Boxing Promotion below:

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Dana White and the vision for this TKO Boxing Promotion

Dana White touched on some ideas for this new boxing outfit during a recent interview with Sports Business Journal alongside Nick Khan, who will also be involved in the league and is prominent in this new TKO effort.

Despite differing ideas of when the promotion may start, with Turki Alalshikh leaning toward late 2025 while White and Khan are looking at 2026 for the inaugural TKO boxing card, the excitement is there for all parties. The 55-year-old was somewhat vaguely touching on some of the massive ideas that Alalshikh has for the world of boxing while speaking to SBJ. He said:

"Turki has vision for this thing like I've never seen. This guy has concepts that will create some of the most epic live sporting events that have ever been done. He literally walked us through it yesterday."

"We actually are trying to pull the reins back on him. He's a guy that is used to 'I want this, and I want it done now.' We're trying to pump the brakes but I can tell you this. His vision for ths sport is f****ng incredible and I love it."

The aforementioned Khan also played a key role in the Connecticut native and Alalshikh even meeting in the first place, with Dana White pointedly saying that in the SBJ interview. The UFC figurehead described how that served as a catalyst for TKO Boxing Promotion to eventually begin to take shape, and it's already getting other boxing promoters talking.