TLDR
- Dana White called the first Zuffa Boxing event ‘drab’ and said he was ‘not thrilled at all’ with the debut card
- White gave out $200,000 in bonuses to fighters but said performances were lackluster
- The inaugural show took place at Meta Apex in Las Vegas one night before UFC 324
- White said he remains committed to Zuffa Boxing and will make improvements for future events
- White defended his focus on UFC after criticism that he is too involved in other projects like Power Slap and Thrill Sports
Sources: Bloody Elbow | MMA Fighting | ESPN MMA
Dana White said he was not happy with the first Zuffa Boxing event despite giving out $200,000 in bonuses to fighters. The UFC CEO called the debut card at the Meta Apex in Las Vegas less than thrilling.
The inaugural Zuffa Boxing show took place on Friday night, one day before UFC 324 at T-Mobile Arena. White handed out large bonuses to fighters but said the performances did not meet his expectations.
“Not thrilled at all,” White said in a post-event interview. He described the card as drab and pointed to lackluster performances as the main problem.
White gave $200,000 in bonuses to fighters at the event. The financial incentives were meant to encourage exciting fights, but White said it didn’t work as planned.
Zuffa Boxing Part of Larger TKO Group
Zuffa Boxing is part of TKO Group Holdings, the parent company that also owns UFC. White serves as president and CEO of TKO and leads the new boxing venture.
White said he remains committed to Zuffa Boxing despite his disappointment with the first show. He emphasized that future events will see improvements based on what the company learned from the debut.
The UFC boss has faced recent criticism about whether he is too focused on projects outside of UFC. Some fans and media have questioned if White is losing interest in the MMA organization.
White has launched several ventures in recent years beyond UFC. He founded Power Slap and got more involved with Thrill Sports, which he co-owns with Lorenzo Fertitta.
He also recently shot a NASCAR-themed reality show for Ram Trucks. White was promoted from president to president and CEO of TKO in 2023.
White Defends Focus on UFC
A recent column from Yahoo Sports’ Uncrowned questioned if White needed to pay more attention to UFC. The column cited a CBS Mornings interview where White gave a short answer about a UFC 324 fight.
White dismissed the criticism when asked about it on Thursday. He said one interview question should not lead people to think he doesn’t care about UFC anymore.
“Come see what we do in 2026 going into 2027, and you will find out that I care very much about the UFC,” White said. He added that he also cares about Zuffa Boxing, Power Slap, Thrill One, and his Ram show.
White said his job changed when he became CEO of TKO. He explained that he is now taking on more responsibilities across multiple properties.
“Honestly, when I became the CEO of the company, my job description has changed a little bit,” White said. “I’m taking on more.”
White called the criticism based on one CBS interview question “weird.” He said he didn’t understand how one answer could lead to questions about his commitment to UFC.
The Zuffa Boxing debut came just hours before UFC 324, which marked the promotion’s first event under its new broadcast deal with Paramount. White tied his work on Zuffa Boxing to his broader responsibilities at TKO Group Holdings.
