Veteran MMA analyst Luke Thomas is at it again, and this time, he voiced his concerns regarding Dana White and his relatively new venture, Zuffa Boxing. The UFC CEO made his debut as a boxing promoter with the Canelo Alvarez vs Terence Crawford fight last month. That event did fairly well, and after that success, Thomas believes White is aiming for something big, and for that, he’s getting help from the California State Athletic Commission.

In the US, multiple athletic governing bodies span across each state in the country. However, the biggest one is the CSAC, which, according to Luke Thomas, is making an attempt to create a monopoly and help Dana White in the process. Here’s what the veteran analyst had to say.

Dana White and the CSAC are cooking something big, according to Luke Thomas

Luke Thomas expressed his concern when he mentioned that the process of “manufacturing consent” is taking place right under our noses, led by the California State Athletic Commission. In his words, this is an attempt to create a monopoly and help one organization, which in this case is Dana White’s promotion, get the bragging rights in all of combat sports. “The most important, and certainly the largest when it comes to oversight, athletic commission in the United States [CSAC] is helping manufacture consent to change federal laws that will enable a single firm to dominate and monopolize the market. That’s what’s happening here,” Thomas stated on his YouTube channel.

Luke Thomas’ comments indicate that Dana White’s Zuffa Boxing’s recent involvement in the CSAC’s attempts is signalling that their discussions aren’t just limited to regulatory issues. He claims that the collaboration between them is likely about reshaping the entire landscape of the boxing industry and favoring one corporate entity, sidelining other competing promotions, and working around the Ali Act.

“How it pertains to today is that when you have this Kabuki theater taking place. What the point of it is, for this agency to use their standing in the regulatory environment, to lend credibility to this piece of legislation, which is designed to enrich and enable… a single firm. It is so because when they go to these Congressional hearings, and when they make the case more broadly… They can say, ‘Hey, look! Muhammad Ali’s wife signed off on this,” Thomas added. “They’re using their imprimatur, they’re using their credibility and their stature to then use that in the place where they needed the most, which is to get this legislation passed.”

It does seem like the boxing world is slowly getting a push to become a UFC-style industry, where one promotion rules the whole scene. It has left the combat world divided, nonetheless. Eddie Hearn was certainly not happy with Dana White’s push for a change in the Muhammad Ali Act.

Eddie Hearn sounds off on UFC head honcho’s proposal

The Matchroom Boxing chief has made it crystal clear that boxing doesn’t need Dana White’s intervention. He claims that the current landscape has been accommodating all the existing parties in the boxing world, with great transparency and accountability, unlike in the UFC. Eddie Hearn also claims that fighters who move the needle should always get paid well, unlike in White’s promotion.

“We’re real boxing. I’m serious. We don’t wanna change the ring, we don’t wanna change the Muhammad Ali Act. This is how we work, with an open book, with Boots and with [Ennis’ adviser] Everett [McNeely] and the team,” Eddie Hearn told Ring Magazine. “I don’t wanna hide the revenue from the show. These guys get to see it, and Boots is making a lotta money. And he deserves a lotta money, because he’s a star.”

Well, Dana White has already rubbed a lot of people in the boxing world the wrong way, but the collaboration with the California State Athletic Commission does make us wonder if he’ll succeed in getting what he wanted when he entered the boxing world. What do you think? Let us know in the comments section.