Dana White is making no secret of it: he thinks boxing is broken, and he plans to fix it.
On the heels of launching Zuffa Boxing, White is positioning himself as the guy who will turn boxing into what the NFL or NBA already are – leagues where rising stars are spotlighted early, where every fight counts, and where fan interest is built steadily, not just stacked around marquee matchups.
As BroBible writer Jorge Alonso outlines, White's blueprint is a structured “contender series” model – undoubted prospects fighting undoubted prospects, where the undercard matters just as much as the main event.
He kicks this off with the upcoming Canelo Alvarez vs. Terence Crawford event in Las Vegas. White sees this mega-fight as a proof of concept: not just a blockbuster main event, but a full card where the undercard delivers meaning and storylines. Then, in 2026, he plans to roll out a weekly or periodic showcase much like the UFC’s Contender Series – undefeated fighters facing undefeated fighters, young names getting real spotlight, and a clear path from newcomer to champion.
The aim is to give every fight purpose, build a pipeline of stars, and have fans invested in the journeys – not just the pay-per-view final.
Key Takeaways
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Pipeline of Stars: White plans to build a system where fans know fighters before they’re famous.
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Every Fight Matters: Undercards will be as important as the main event.
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Borrowed Blueprint: The model is inspired by the UFC’s Contender Series.
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Promoter Pushback: Traditionalists aren’t convinced this approach works for boxing.
Building from scratch
Dana White isn’t disguising his ambition: “There’s a handful of people and fighters who people care about right now,” he said on Inside the Ring.
But that’s not enough. “This is how you build an NFL or NBA. This is how it’s done. I feel like I’m starting from scratch now,” he told Max Kellerman.
The launch of Zuffa Boxing – with its first big test being this weekend’s Canelo-Crawford mega-tilt – is the flagship event for this effort.
Contender Series style in 2026
In 2026, White says he will start “a show, and what I’m going to do is basically like Contender Series.”
“The best will fight the best, undefeated guys will fight undefeated guys, and what you will do is you will care about the first fight of the night, and not just the main event,” he elaborated.
That’s a major shift. Undercard fights will no longer just set up the headliners. White wants audiences to tune in from the opening bell, follow fighters from their first steps, and invest emotionally in their rise.
The pushback is real
Boxing’s old guard isn’t exactly rolling out the red carpet.
Promoter Eddie Hearn is among those skeptical that White’s league-style approach will translate. When asked about the plan, Hearn simply said: “I don’t think it works.”
His concern is that boxing – with its many promoters, legacy contracts, and regional fiefdoms – may resist the centralized, structured model White envisions.
