Dana White and Turki Alalshikh Launch New Boxing Promotion

In a seismic shift for the world of combat sports, UFC CEO Dana White has officially entered the boxing arena. On Wednesday, March 5, 2025, Ring Magazine announced a groundbreaking partnership between TKO, the parent company of UFC and WWE, and Turki Alalshikh, chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority, to establish a new boxing promotion.

‼️ ANNOUNCED: Turki Alalshikh and TKO have signed a multi-year partnership to establish a new boxing promotion with executive leadership anchored by UFC President Dana White and WWE President Nick Khan. The new promotion will feature:

🥊 A highly structured system to develop new… pic.twitter.com/tK5auLy1UO

— Ring Magazine (@ringmagazine) March 5, 2025

This venture marks a significant milestone in White’s career, as he has long criticized the traditional boxing business model. The UFC boss has consistently voiced his frustration with the sport’s inability to consistently pit the best fighters against each other, a problem he now aims to solve with this new promotion.

A New Era for Boxing

The partnership brings together some of the most influential figures in combat sports and entertainment. Dana White and WWE president Nick Khan will anchor the executive leadership of the new promotion, combining their extensive experience in fight promotion and entertainment.

‼️ Turki Alalshikh and Dana White speak exclusively to The Ring about their new boxing promotion: “Everybody knows the format – the best fight the best.” pic.twitter.com/PeXV7jHIdp

— Ring Magazine (@ringmagazine) March 5, 2025

White’s vision for the promotion is clear and ambitious. “The model is proven to deliver the fights that the fans want to see. The best will fight the best, and the fighters will continue to move up the rankings and become world champions,” he stated in a video posted on social media. This approach aims to address one of the most significant criticisms of modern boxing – the frequent inability to make high-profile matchups due to promotional and contractual barriers.

The new promotion promises to revolutionize talent development in boxing. It will feature “a highly structured system to develop new talent from around the world, including athlete combines and academies”[1][2]. This systematic approach to nurturing boxing talent could potentially create a more robust and competitive field of fighters across all weight classes.

Full details on Turki Alalshikh’s ground-breaking partnership with TKO to establish a new boxing promotion. pic.twitter.com/nPL3fv0PCJ

— Ring Magazine (@ringmagazine) March 5, 2025

Moreover, all boxers under the new promotion will have access to the state-of-the-art UFC Performance Institutes in Las Vegas, Mexico City, and Shanghai. This access to world-class training facilities and sports science resources could significantly enhance the performance and longevity of boxers in the promotion.

Global Reach and Production Quality

TKO’s involvement ensures that the new promotion will benefit from top-tier production values and global reach. The company will handle the production of events, both in broadcasting and at arenas, leveraging its extensive experience in producing high-quality combat sports events.

Turki Alalshikh believes Dana White can make boxing great again as they begin work on their new boxing promotion together. pic.twitter.com/xStiHLfjVw

— Ring Magazine (@ringmagazine) March 5, 2025

The partnership with Turki Alalshikh and Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority adds another layer of intrigue to this venture. Alalshikh has been a driving force behind Saudi Arabia’s recent push into global sports and entertainment, including high-profile boxing events[3]. This collaboration could potentially lead to more major boxing events being held in the Middle East, further shifting the sport’s center of gravity.

While many details about the new promotion remain under wraps, the combat sports world is buzzing with anticipation. Fight fans are eager to see how this new entity will shake up the boxing landscape, potentially bringing the sport closer to the UFC model of consistent top-tier matchups.

The announcement has already sent shockwaves through the boxing community. Established promotions and fighters alike are now faced with a new, potentially game-changing competitor backed by the promotional might of TKO and the financial resources of Saudi Arabia.

As the combat sports world digests this news, many questions remain unanswered. How will existing boxing promotions respond to this new challenger? Will top boxers be tempted to join this new promotion? And perhaps most importantly, will this venture succeed in its goal of consistently delivering the fights that fans want to see?

White has promised further announcements regarding broadcasting, scheduling, and other business details as the launch date approaches. The combat sports community will be watching closely as more information emerges about this ambitious new boxing promotion.

One thing is certain: with Dana White, TKO, and Saudi Arabia’s backing, this new boxing promotion has the potential to significantly alter the landscape of professional boxing. Whether it will live up to its lofty ambitions remains to be seen, but the mere existence of this venture promises to inject new energy and competition into the world of boxing.