Dana White and TKO Holdings are shaking things up in the boxing world. They want to change how professional boxing works by getting rid of the many organizations that give out belts and titles.
White and his team plan to make boxing more like the UFC, with just one champion in each weight class. They're working with Saudi Arabia, The Ring magazine, and Turki Alalashikh to make this happen.
Boxing has been set up the same way for decades. There are lots of different organizations, each with their own belts and champions. Many people think it's confusing and maybe even corrupt.
White says he wants to knock down these old structures. At first, he said that wasn't his goal, but now it's clear he wants big changes. He thinks the current setup is bad for the sport.
Money and influence from the Middle East are helping push these changes. But some people are worried about what might happen. The Muhammad Ali Act, which became law in 2000, protects fighters' rights. It makes sure contracts are clear and controls how promoters work with boxers. White's plans might ignore this law.
Dan Rafael, who knows a lot about boxing, said on his Fight Freaks Unite podcast that leaving out the current boxing organizations goes against the Muhammad Ali Act.
Eddie Hearn, who promotes boxing matches, doesn't agree with White. He said:
"I don't think boxing is broken as Dana White claims. I think Dana has a great position in MMA where you can control the fighter, the publicity, everything. You have to do what you're told. That's not going to work in boxing. Also, fighters are drastically overpaid in boxing and the margins in MMA are different, so it's going to be interesting."
Hearn thinks White's way of running MMA won't work for boxing. He points out that boxers make more money than MMA fighters, and the business side of things is different too.
These changes could really shake up professional boxing. They might change how the sport is run and could affect boxers' rights. It looks like there will be some big fights ahead, both in and out of the ring.
