Eddie Hearn has cautioned Dana White, the head of the UFC, that he will need to be constantly vigilant as he ventures into the boxing industry.
White has been appointed to lead the TKO Group’s new boxing league, backed by Saudi Arabia and Ring Magazine, which was officially announced earlier this month.
Turki Alalshikh, a prominent figure in Saudi Arabia, has entrusted White with the responsibility of applying the UFC business model to this new boxing league, the name of which is yet to be revealed.
Dana White successfully transformed the UFC from a struggling organization into a multi-billion dollar enterprise. However, fellow promoter Eddie Hearn has warned White that the boxing world presents unique challenges.
Hearn, speaking to iFL TV, stated, “Boxing is the toughest business in the world.”
“I hope these guys are prepared to work tirelessly day and night and always be on guard.”
“Because you won’t maintain control if you expect to go to bed early and wake up late, assuming the industry and your situation will remain unchanged.”
“It’s not like that. Everyone out there is constantly striving. And I am one of them.”
White, 55, is well-acquainted with the intense demands of managing a successful promotion and the need to sacrifice personal time.
However, he acknowledged that his current workload is unprecedented, stating during a UFC 313 press conference, “I thought I was busy before, but I didn’t realize what true busyness was until recently.”
“We will find out this year if I can manage everything. We’ll see how long I can sustain this pace.”
The formal announcement of the TKO Group’s foray into boxing caused considerable excitement in the sport, particularly following Alalshikh’s initial declaration to “crush” competing promotions.
However, Alalshikh has since softened his stance, stating, “The collaboration between Riyadh Season, Ring Magazine, and the promoters will continue for at least the next year or two.”
“This will depend on their responses and the opportunities they offer us. If it benefits us, we will proceed.”
“Currently, I appreciate the work of Matchroom and Eddie Hearn.”
“Eddie and his team are in ongoing discussions with me about organizing major fights globally.”
“He has decided to continue working with us, and we will maintain our business relationship with him.”
“Furthermore, we have engaged in numerous discussions with Golden Boy to potentially feature some of their fighters on our events.”
“My team and I are always open to collaborating with boxing promoters if they present us with favorable options.”
