With Jai Opetaia crowned as its first champion, the fledgling boxing promotion of Dana White is looking to build momentum. After wrapping up its fourth event under the Paramount deal, Zuffa is targeting close to 44 shows this year. But the rapid expansion brings bigger questions. As it pushes to establish itself among boxing’s top promotions, White and his team confront a critical one: will that journey involve working with the sport’s established and legacy promoters? The answer surfaced at the post-fight press conference of Zuffa Boxing 04, when White took direct shots at Bob Arum, Oscar De La Hoya, and Eddie Hearn after a reporter asked him about future partnerships.

“You’re asking me about Bob Arum. Bob Arum’s been in the business for f**king 50 years. He put on one fight this year,” White said. “He doesn’t have a TV deal as far as I know. Does Top Rank have a TV deal yet? Anybody? They don’t even have a TV deal. What? What am I going to work with him on? He has no TV deal. Guy’s been around for 50 years or more. No TV deal.”

“De La Hoya, don’t even get me f**king started on that guy,” he said before adding, “PBC hasn’t put a fight on. I haven’t seen or heard anything from Al Haymon. I heard he’s sick. I don’t know what’s going on with Al. And then, you know, Eddie Hearn is a manager now. My, my rival Eddie Hearn. Holy sh*t, who else? I mean, who? What? Who? Who? I’m four fights in. These guys are f**king terrible.”

But Dana White‘s mirth isn’t random. His shots land at a moment when broadcast instability has been plaguing the old guard of promoters for some time. The shift began in 2023 when, in December, the longtime contract between PBC’s Al Haymon and Showtime ended. The promotion later struck a partnership with Amazon Prime. Still, critics point to a reduced number of events.

This past July, Bob Arum‘s Top Rank concluded its 8-year partnership with ESPN. While it has continued to stage events, Arum’s promotion hasn’t secured an exclusive, long-term network deal as a replacement. Meanwhile, questions remain about Oscar De La Hoya‘s Golden Boy Promotions renewing its deal with DAZN.

Meanwhile, Eddie Hearn stands out as a notable counterpoint to White’s story.

The outsider who could shake Dana White?

Despite White signing two of his top fighters, the English promoter managed to extend his contract with DAZN for another five years. Hearn has also stayed busy in the ring, delivering well-run events on both sides of the Atlantic, including four major cards, three of which featured world title fights.

Outside the established names, Paul stands out as the only figure with the tools to challenge White. The YouTuber-turned-fighter’s career, especially after the knockout loss he suffered to Anthony Joshua, may have stalled inside the ring, although a comeback later this year has not been ruled out. Outside it, however, he has gained traction as a promoter, particularly by elevating women’s boxing. The Cleveland native made a notable business move when he partnered with Netflix to stream the fight with Mike Tyson.

The format soon caught attention, with others beginning to explore similar broadcast models. At the same time, Paul and his team continued working with established broadcasters. Last month they struck a landmark deal in the United Kingdom with Sky Sports as part of their expansion plans. As March began, his promotion, Most Valuable Promotions (MVP), signed a multi-year agreement with ESPN.

MVP already has an event scheduled under its new network deals in the coming months. Whether it can match Zuffa Boxing’s output remains uncertain. And whether White would consider working with Paul, despite their strained relationship, is another part of the story.