LAS VEGAS – Dana White is aiming to build trust with boxing fans in order to create event atmospheres similar to the UFC.
The UFC CEO, who is actively building the Zuffa Boxing brand, hopes to build a strong enough product to convince boxing fans to show up early for the undercard, as they do at UFC shows. Even for boxing's biggest events, crowds typically trickle in throughout the evening, with arenas filling out just ahead of the main event. White hopes to change that in the near future, while also getting away from regional matchups that have historically existed in boxing.
"My thing with the boxing business is if you look at what we did in the UFC, traditionally in boxing, when I was involved in boxing before UFC, you had to fight in Las Vegas
or Atlantic City," White told reporters during a Rayn Garcia vs. Conor Benn post-fight news conference. "If you were fighting in New York, you better have a Puerto Rican. If you were fighting in LA, you better have a Mexican. That was kind of the way it worked.
"A couple weeks ago, I fought with a Russian Muslim and an Irish kid in Philly. We sold it out, broke the record. At the end of the day, what matters are the fights that are being put on. What my goal is over the next couple of years is to gain the trust of the boxing fans."
White pointed to Saturday night's dual UFC and Zuffa Boxing evening as a prime example of what he hopes to achieve. Noche UFC took place at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Ariz., which White initially attended before quickly flying back for Garcia vs. Benn at T-Mobile Arena.
"When we went to Arizona tonight, the prelims were crazy," White said. "I mean, the place was packed, people were losing their minds. Those of you that cover UFC know that sometimes people are just as excited for one of the prelims as they are for the main event. I want to build that trust back in the boxing fans that if you fly out to Las Vegas, you're going to see a great event from the first fight of the night to the main event."
Boxing crowds typically arrive late, with undercards often an afterthought. That's also true for fans watching at home, who often care only about the main event. It's all about the marketing.
Big boxing events are announced and promoted as the A-side vs. B-side main eventers, with promotional details secondary. With the UFC, especially today, it's the opposite. The promotion is the A-side, often announcing when an event is taking place, whether it's a Fight Night or a numbered event, and sometimes selling tickets without announcing a main event.
The UFC can do this because fans have come to expect exciting moments on the undercard, and therefore they show up earlier to pack the house. White believes he can bring the UFC's approach to Zuffa Boxing. It's a lofty goal that would require a culture shift in the boxing world, but White believes it can happen over time.
"I think (it will take) a couple of years," White said. "It's about creating trust with the fans. You know, if I fly out to Vegas – pay for a flight, buy tickets, stay at a hotel, pay for all my meals, I'm gonna lose some money gambling – am I gonna get what (I paid for)? Nobody walked out of f*cking Arizona and said, 'Sh*t, we shouldn't have came here tonight.' I promise you. That's what we have to bring back to boxing. And not just good matchmaking, good fights, but good hospitality. I went to a fight a few years ago with my oldest son and it was a f*cking sh*t show at MGM. There weren't enough ushers, people were sitting in my f*cking seats, I'm fighting with the guys who are sitting in my seats, they had tickets, I had tickets – all these little things.
"Think about this: everything that you do during the week, forget about the money, take the money out of it, because you can stay home and it's the price of the subscription for Paramount+, which you should already have anyway – it's staying home on a Saturday night. Saturday night is a valuable night to do what you want to do after you've worked all week. These are all things that we have to build back with the boxing fanbase, and bring in younger fans."
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Dana White explains lofty goal to gain trust of boxing fans
