He picked one with the boxing establishment a long time ago. Then he added fuel to the fire Sunday, March 8.
During a press conference after Jai Opetaia defeated Brandon Glanton by unanimous decision to become the first champion of White’s Zuffa Boxing, he belittled those running the sport as “rinky dink’’ and inept enough for him to make some startling predictions.
‘I’m going to sign everybody we think has the potential to be a world champion or that is potentially the best in the world,” he declared.
Lightweight champion Shakur Stevenson and heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk, are they on that list, a reporter asked.
‘I’m going to (expletive) sign everybody,” White replied, later adding, ‘All the biggest guys are going to be here.”
As the UFC’s CEO, White already controls mixed martial arts. He clearly intends to do the same thing with boxing. Even though Opetaia is the lone star White has signed to date.
But remember, Zuffa Boxing is only four right into its existence. And White likely is working with a blank check after partnering with Turki Alalshikh, Chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority.
Now about that rant, White said, ‘Listen, this sport is broken for a reason. Everybody is a bunch of rinky dink. I mean, it’s the most (expletive) rinky dink thing that I have ever seen in my life. I don’t know why I expected more from any of these people. But, boy, let me tell you what, (stuff’s) about to get good.’’
Zuffa Boxing is in good position thanks to its deal with Paramount+, which this year became the streaming home not only for the UFC, but also Zuffa Boxing. Which launched in January and only four fight cards into its existence.
Yet clearly White was irritated with the IBF – one of boxing’s four sanctioning bodies. On Friday, the IBF abruptly announced it was reversing its plan to sanction the fight between Opetaia and Glanton. Not only that, the IBF stripped its cruiserweight title from Opetaia. It looked like a low blow. Or in MMA vernacular, an eye poke.
The move seemed designed to undermine the value of Zuffa Boxing’s new belt, strapped around Opetaia after his victory Sunday. But maybe nothing more than another belt, further diluting world championships?
“I would say that’s ridiculous,” White said. ‘So what we’re doing is, all the guys that fight for us, that will be the belt. There won’t be any other belts. We’ll have some situations where Jai wanted to fight for the IBF (belt). But this is all just getting started.”
Just the beginning.
And the end White’s blast-boxing rant.
For now.