It’s been quiet on the Zuffa Boxing front in recent months, but the venture is apparently still very much alive.
In an interview with CNN, UFC President Dana White revealed plans to launch his fledgling promotion later this year.
“I am making all my boxing moves after this summer,” White said (transcription via Bloody Elbow). When this summer is over, you’ll be hearing a lot about what I’m doing in the sport of boxing.”
After helping to promote the blockbuster bout between Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor in August 2017, White promised that he was “getting into boxing, 100 percent.” During various faceoffs and promotional events, the UFC boss could be seen wearing a Zuffa Boxing T-shirt.
“I’m not leaving the UFC. I’m getting into boxing with [WME/IMG head] Ari [Emanuel] and the UFC will be doing boxing, too,” White told the Los Angeles Times in November 2017. “It’s still early. We’re still working on it. I’ve got to get my [stuff] together, but I’m getting into boxing, man. It’s coming.”
Last year, there were rumors that Anthony Joshua would be offered a massive contract by the UFC’s boxing promotion. However, that deal never came to fruition.
White still believes that boxing isn’t doing all it can to promote the best possible matchups. In the interview with CNN, he used the current status of the heavyweight division as an example.
“What I don’t like what [boxing] is doing if how they’re not fighting the best guys out there right now,” White said. “They have [Deontay] Wilder and [Tyson] Fury who just fought to a draw in an incredible fight that people loved. The rematch isn’t happening with those two, and neither one of those two are going to fight [Anthony] Joshua.
“These guys could do a round robin fight, fight each other. You know, both guys could fight Joshua and they’d kill it. They’d make so much money and they would bring so much energy and life back to boxing. But these guys just keep shooting themselves in the foot.”
White still has an interest in working with Joshua, who is expected to fight at Madison Square Garden on June 1.
“I would like that,” White said. “Right now, Anthony Joshua should be a huge star in the United States too. But he’s not.
“[Fighting in New York on June 1] isn’t necessarily going to turn you into a big star. Hopefully it does.”