When it comes to UFC and boxing crossovers, Dana White hasn’t been very open, although the head honcho did it one time with Conor McGregor and Floyd Mayweather. Other than that? Nothing has happened remotely close. And now, the UFC CEO has once again shut down the possibility while answering a question about Terence Crawford. Why?
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White played an integral part in the Alvarez vs. Crawford event as the co-promoter under the TKO banner. So, he witnessed firsthand how ‘Bud’ became the undisputed champion and elevated himself to another level of stardom. Now, when the UFC boss was asked whether he would like to see Joaquin Buckley fight the Nevada native, Dana White’s answer raised serious questions about UFC fighters’ star power.
Dana White pushes back reporter over Terence Crawford vs Joaquin Buckley question
“Terence Crawford and who? UFC Buckley? Boxing? Are we still talking about that s—t? Well, I didn’t know anything about it, and I’m not thrilled that you told me about it.” Dana White said at the Zuffa Boxing 3 post-fight presser. “I mean, everybody knows how I feel about that. Crawford and Buckley boxing? Or Crawford, who just made f—ing $55M, is going to go street fight Buckley. You win the dumbest question of the night award. Congratulations.”
For the unversed, Joaquin Buckley actually challenged Terence Crawford for sparring at the UFC Apex. Why? It’s because the retired undisputed middleweight champion apparently suggested boxing is superior to MMA during Adin Ross’s stream. So, ‘New Mansa’ wanted to prove him wrong by having a friendly clash. Now, both fighters clashing in a friendly showdown isn’t a bad idea. But, as White said, a professional fight at this point doesn’t make much sense.
However, as the head honcho rightfully pointed out, the gap between the two individuals also shows that it may take a long time before another boxing and UFC crossover happens. The last time the UFC did it was with their megastar Conor McGregor against Floyd Mayweather in 2017, which became one of the highest-grossing boxing events ever. But since then, the promotion has never managed to create a spectacle of that magnitude. Why?
Although the UFC has stars like Ilia Topuria and Alex Pereira who could realistically go toe to toe with elite boxers, White still hasn’t made them take that step. Is this a business decision? Or does the UFC actually lack crossover star power? That’s definitely a tough question to answer, but the fact remains that ‘The Notorious’ pulled eight straight million PPV buys for the UFC. As for the others, we don’t know yet, but it’s not hard to imagine they aren’t close.
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That said, as the 56-year-old gave a savage answer to the reporter’s Crawford vs. Buckley question, he also pulled no punches while talking about a former broadcasting rival.
The UFC CEO takes aim at Showtime
Serving as one of America’s no-nonsense CEOs, Dana White has built quite an image with his rants about things he doesn’t like. And if something goes over the roof, he seems to hold a grudge, too. That’s exactly what happened between the UFC boss and the boxing streaming platform Showtime Networks.
Over the years, White became increasingly reluctant about the production of boxing fights and often lambasted them for what he saw as low-quality content. However, that story we thought had ended long ago, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Even in 2026, White called Showtime a “weasel,” a word originally thrown around by Conor McGregor during the Floyd Mayweather pressers after a reporter asked him about the ongoing lawsuit with ‘Money’.
“I don’t know anything about it. I have seen it. I’m not a big fan of the Weasel myself,” Dana White said at the post-fight presser. “So, we’ll see how that plays out,” he added.
For the unfamiliar, Floyd Mayweather Jr. actually filed a lawsuit against Showtime, accusing them of owing him $340 million, citing multiple jarring details like unauthorized transactions and deliberate concealment of financial records. So even then, the UFC CEO didn’t exactly pick sides, but he clearly showed lingering resentment toward Showtime.
That said, as the Ultimate Fighting Championship and White have finally stepped into the boxing space, could we actually see more UFC fighters transitioning into boxing soon? Let us know in the comments section below.