It has been a rocky start for Dana White and His Excellency Turki Alalshikh’s new boxing league. Ever since the duo unveiled the partnership earlier this year, there has been skepticism all over. After all, this is not the UFC president’s first foray into boxing. His Zuffa boxing venture, announced in 2019, fizzled out by 2022, with White calling the sport “a nightmare to fix.” So, this time with even higher hopes, he teamed up with the Saudi royal to launch a UFC-style boxing league. However, despite White being named the promoter of the blockbuster Canelo Alvarez vs. Terence Crawford event in Las Vegas, the new boxing league’s inaugural event, the doubts have once again crept in as Oscar De La Hoya raised questions about Dana White’s ability to turn the new Saudi-backed boxing venture a success.

The Golden Boy head honcho has vociferously expressed his doubts regarding Dana White and the new TKO boxing league, first expressing his contention in a FightHub TV interview after it was officially announced earlier this year. However, since then, he has taken his rebuke of the 55-year-old to his weekly Clapback Thursdays series. After a month-long hiatus, De La Hoya once again returned with a new episode of the series, and he wasted no time taking a hit at White, especially in light of the Canelo-Crawford megabout being officially confirmed a few days ago.

What about the UFC, Dana White?

After slamming Jaime Munguia and Eddy Reynoso over the recent PED scandal, he quickly turned his attention towards Dana White. Incensed by White’s involvement in the September clash, Oscar De La Hoya stated, “You know what’s laughable also, Dana White being named the promoter of this fight. Considering he’s never been in the boxing space, has no stable of boxers. He didn’t negotiate sh*t. And is being handed this fight on a silver platter and called ‘promoter’.”

He then referred to the UFC head honcho as a “trust fund baby of boxing,” as His Excellency Turki Alalshikh is bankrolling the September 13th event in Las Vegas. The Olympic gold medalist called out the double standards of the combat world. “You guys would f***ng destroy me for walking into another sport and acting like I know the f**k I’m doing,” he stated, claiming that the 55-year-old promoter should stick to the UFC.

Then, alleging the UFC of being in massive debt, De La Hoya claimed, “Insiders are aware the UFC is hundreds of millions of dollars in debt. And in a bad spot. But that’s no reason to switch sports and leave these MMA fighters hanging, Dana.” He urged White to focus on the UFC and its fighters, adding, “Don’t abandon the fans. They’ve been begging you for months now to make a great fight in the UFC.” But is there any truth to the allegations of massive debt that the six-division world champion is brandishing here?

The first major report of UFC’s financial losses came during the 2016 sale to Endeavor, with Bloomberg revealing it was under $425 million in debt during its then $4 billion acquisition. Following that, the company was losing over $100 million in gate revenue during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Dana White acknowledged these losses, framing them as a temporary operational setback rather than a sign of deeper corporate debt. Regardless, the UFC quickly recovered following the opening of its doors to the public. With its acquisition by TKO in 2023, the UFC is in a better spot than ever. So, until newer reports paint a contradictory picture, the allegations of a ‘$100 million’ debt remain just that—allegations.

Oscar De La Hoya fears that Dana White, whom he claims “knows nothing about boxing,” could lead the sport to ruin. And, given Dana White’s notorious low-pay structure in the UFC, De La Hoya expressed doubts whether they’ll attract elite talent to their boxing venture.

The salary cap becomes the yardstick

In the same clip, De La Hoya stated, “Oh, and don’t even think of bringing your pathetic pay scale to boxing, cuz these fighters won’t go for it.” Given how much more boxers are paid as compared to a UFC fighter, the veteran boxer is not wrong. Even though Dana White has constantly argued that his structure brings stability, boxers will be skeptical.

However, despite criticism, Dana White appears set to replicate his UFC pay model with his new boxing league. Recent reports indicate that fighter pay will be tied to their ranking within the organization. Unranked boxers in a 10-round fight will earn a base salary of $20,000. On the other hand, those ranked 5th to 10th will receive $50,000 per bout. Fighters ranked 3rd or 4th will pocket $125,000, challengers will get $375,000, and champions defending their titles will earn $750,000.

Currently, these pay figures remain unconfirmed. Hopefully, they stay that way. While the amounts seem reasonable, they fall far short of the massive purses boxing champions usually command. With boxing promotions and His Excellency Turki Alalshikh himself bankrolling the venture, it is a valid concern whether the fighters would accept such pay.

What do you think about Dana White’s entry into boxing? Is Oscar De La Hoya right? Let us know your thoughts down below.