Dana White – “Francis Ngannou offered more to stay in the UFC than he deserved in boxing”

As Dana White pushes his entry into the sport of boxing next year, he is eager to challenge what he says is a “myth” of a gaping difference in payment models between the sport and mixed martial arts.

There is little denying that the sport of boxing is currently in a flourishing phase, largely (or largely) funded by Saudi Arabia's General Entertainment Authority, which has featured in numerous high-profile fights in the Middle East and more recently. London martial arts benefactor Turki Alalshikh continues to fund boxing.

The UFC's payment model has come into question in recent months, particularly after former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou left the organization a few years ago after his contract expired – after which he signed a big-money deal with the PFL to take on two high-profile deals Boxing matches against Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua.

But speaking to the media, including The Mac Life, in Las Vegas on Tuesday, White disputed the claim that boxing is on a different financial level than the UFC.



“That’s not necessarily true,” White said, answering a question from reporter Kevin Iole MMA fights.

“This is the nonsense that people publicly believe, but it is not the truth. Total nonsense. Total nonsense,” he added.

“It's this whole myth that makes everyone say, 'Oh, let's go fucking boxing!' and all this nonsense. Boxing doesn't work. Boxing doesn't work. How does it work? It takes a damn Saudi trillionaire to fight fucking fights. And even Saudi trillionaires are fed up with the damn nonsense. It's all a damn myth. It's all a myth.

“Like the whole statement you just made is absolutely not true. It's these kinds of damning statements and these kinds of quotes from the media that make up all the crap. All this fighting is happening, it takes a damn Saudi trillionaire. Any damn guy who tries to box ends up losing a lot of damn money. The model doesn't work. A Saudi unlimited amount of money shows up and that's what makes these fights possible, and even people with that much money are damn sick of the nonsense.”

White also denied claims that Ngannou made more money in his two boxing fights – the reported sum was around $30 million – when he was offered to extend his UFC contract – reported in the media at $8 million. Dollar reported.

“I know everything you don’t know and I don’t care what anyone says,” said the UFC boss. “I don’t care. But that is a fact. He was offered more money because I know the actual numbers.”