Dana White and TKO's new venture, which will see them partner with boxing's biggest financer, Turki Alalshikh, has sent shockwaves through the sport. There are concerns that the partnership between MMA's biggest promoter and boxing's largest well of money could see other boxing promotions dwindle.
But according to one of the best promoters in the 'sweet science', Eddie Hearn, White will need to be all-in if he hopes of taking control of the sport. The Matchroom Boxing chairman has worked with Alalshikh since the Saudi Arabian adviser entered the sport in 2024.
Alalshikh's recent comments that he and White will "crush" other boxing promotions caused concern amongst pundits. But Hearn explained why that will be harder than it seems during a recent interview with iFL TV, saying this:
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"Boxing is the worst business in the world. I hope these guys have got the appetite to be up all f**king night and sleep with one eye open every single day. Because you're not going to get control where you can go to bed at 10 o'clock [at night] and wake up at 8 o'clock in the morning and expect the industry and your situation to be exactly the same. It doesn't work like that. Every f**ker is out there hustling every single day. Guess what? I'm one of them."
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Check out Eddie Hearn's comments on Dana White below (2:40):
Eddie Hearn disagrees with Dana White calling boxing a "broken sport"
Dana White will partner with Turki Alalshikh to create a new boxing league that will resemble the business model used by the UFC. The MMA promoter and CEO of the UFC believes that boxing has fallen to an all-time low, and he hopes to reignite one of the world's oldest sports.
But according to Eddie Hearn, the 'sweet science' has never been in a better place. The Matchroom Boxing chairman recently unpacked White's statement about boxing being "broken."
During a recent interview with iFL TV, Hearn disagreed with White and responded with the following:
"I do disagree with Dana and [Turki Alalshikh], when you say, 'Boxing's broken.' Boxing ain't broken. Boxing's hotter than ever. And it was hot before [Alalshikh] came in, but now it's got a lot hotter. So we can always look at the structures and what we can change. Boxing's not MMA. The model doesn't just flick over to another sport like that."
Check out Eddie Hearn's comments on Dana White below (8:50):
