Dana White on Paramount deal: 'I like to do things that have never been done before'
In typical Dana White style, he’ll let the others get bogged down in details and analysis of what his new Zuffa Boxing multi-year agreement with Paramount+ and CBS means.
What White made clear in a Monday morning interview with CBS Sports is that change is coming regardless of who’s ruffled.
The point was most visibly illustrated when reporter Brian Campbell asked White the question that upset him during the Canelo Alvarez-Terence Crawford news conference: Will the stoppage of his proposed changes to federal boxing regulations keep him from entering boxing?
“No, but we’re doing it,” White said. “The Ali Act had good intentions, but it’s holding the sport back.”
In a news release distributed Monday, Paramount+ detailed that it will stream 12 cards in 2026 beginning in January, with the possibility of more major cards landing on CBS.
White’s Zuffa Boxing is in the process of assembling talent – including women fighters – who will make up its roster for the 12 cards.
White likened the coming shows to Tuesday Night Boxing on the USA Network in the 1990s, a proving ground for many of the fighters who advanced to become the best-known boxers of the decade.
“We’re starting from the ground up, matchmaking great fights, building a relationship with the fans who’ll trust our product,” White said. “Whatever night it lands on will become destination TV.”
Whit already has promotional ties with ranked 154lbs unbeaten Callum Walsh of Ireland and he employs Tom Loeffler, whose 360 Promotions has a stable of quality prospects including Cain Sandoval, who headlines a card at Chumash Casino in Santa Ynez, California, Friday night.
The UFC CEO/President mentioned how he helped fans familiarize with fighters by creating “The Ultimate Fighter,” a reality television series in which MMA fighters would live under the same roof and then compete for a UFC contract.
That type of profile-building shoulder programming should be expected from the promotion, which is being backed by $10 million in annual funding by Saudi Arabia’s Sela and powerful boxing financier Turki Alalshikh.
“He’s obviously very passionate [about boxing]. The fights he’s doing have never been done,” White said of Alalshikh, who has staged bouts for the undisputed heavyweight, light heavyweight and super middleweight titles and has a November 22 loaded card coming in Saudi Arabia featuring leading light-heavyweight David Benavidez, super flyweight champion Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez, a welterweight title fight between champion Brian Norman Jnr and former two-division champion Devin Haney, and a lightweight title fight matching promising pair, Abdullah Mason and Sam Noakes.
“I don’t get into something unless my gut tells me to do it,” said White. “If I can pull off what I want to do, the money will come.
“I’m not out here beating my chest. I’m not the savior of boxing and I’m not the worst thing that’s ever happened to it. I have a plan. We’ve started to build a team. I’m very optimistic. … You start on TV, on the Paramount platform, and you strengthen the brand.
“How the UFC was built was [based on] all the things I love and hated about boxing.”
White said he is in the process of considering how many divisions he wants to stage in Zuffa Boxing as his team assesses up to 450 fighters for spots and he mulls changes to the ring and proposing other rules changes.
The existing federal regulations forbid boxing promoters from ranking and awarding championship belts to their fighters, which Zuffa Boxing intends to do.
The company is well positioned to gain the approval given White’s friendship with President Trump and the Republican majority in Congress.
White agreed with Campbell that the company would be wise to stage more fights in the U.S. given the comparative disinterest Americans have showed in the major bouts being staged in Saudi Arabia.
“You cannot have a successful boxing business without the United States,” White said. “That will be my goal.”
It’s a strategy that doesn’t require working with other promoters, White said.
“I live in my own bubble. I’m going to do my thing,” he said. “Those other guys don’t think big enough. They all think small. They don’t think the way I think.”
Yet, Alalshikh’s bouts have been staged with the talent of other promotions. So moving forward it will be interesting to watch if that outside talent remains on loan, or if fighters who’ve received the generous purses from Alalshikh/Sela will be moved to let their existing promotional contracts move toward expiration as American promoters Top Rank, Golden Boy and Premier Boxing Champions operate for now in an increasingly depressed television/streaming environment for the sport.
Top Rank doesn’t have an existing deal. DAZN, which is partially owned by Alalshikh, offers Golden Boy fights. And while powerful Prime Video offers PBC fights on pay-per-view, the promotion doesn’t have a talent-developing broadcast forum in place.
White said those fighters who want to adhere to all the tenets of existing federal regulations can work with the other promotions.
“We’re going to add onto it … you can bet on me,” he said.
At 56, White said he is embracing the challenge of presiding over boxing and the UFC, while parent company TKO also has to schedule WWE events avoiding conflict.
“I like to do things that have never been done before and do things that people say can’t be done,” White said.
ANNOUNCED: Zuffa Boxing have signed a long-term broadcast deal with Paramount+ for the USA, Canada, and Latin America starting from January 2026.
