Dana White needs to treat rival boxing promoters the way Conan The Barbarian treated his enemies.
The UFC CEO will launch Zuffa Boxing on Friday at the Meta Apex in Las Vegas. White made a slick video package that paints himself as the savior of the “sweet science” in what can only be compared to Montgomery C. Burns starring in his own film at the Springfield Movie Festival.
But his UFC credentials may not be enough in the “broken” world of boxing.
That’s according to longtime friend and former WBC
heavyweight champion Mike Tyson, who knows a thing or two about shady promoters after getting swindled by Don King back in the 80s. The retired “Iron” man suggests one simple path to victory — and it involves crushing everyone who stands in the way.
“Boxing was created broken, and it’s going to die broken,” Tyson told Hard Rock Bet. “He has to understand the kind of people he’s dealing with. I think he dealt with Turki [Alalsheik], but I don’t think he actually dealt with the core of boxing people. He’s going to have to crush every one of them. Everything in boxing is not on the table. There’s always something underneath the table that we don’t know about and that’s boxing. That’s what I know. That’s the golden rule in boxing.”
Zuffa Boxing, which features the top pugilist from White’s own stable, still has a long way to go before it can establish itself as a major player in combat sports. But even if White fails, Tyson believes the “sweet science” will live on forever, thanks to a loyal group of hardcore boxing fans who tune in for all the big fights.
And there appears to be no shortage of those in 2026.
“You know what’s interesting about boxing? It’s almost like it can’t be canceled,” Tyson added. “It has this primary group of fans, that it can live on forever. Even if boxing went on a hiatus, it has the hardcore fans, that’s enough that it could survive on. The UFC has more entertainment and excitement. When there’s no fight, when the fights are over, it’s a party until they start another fight. In boxing, they’re waiting around, people are looking at each other’s faces, talking, and the UFC is constant activity going on.”
Zuffa Boxing will air on the Paramount+ digital network.
