Dana White Says Islam Makhachev vs. Ian Garry Changed How UFC Sells Fights

Dana White has shown time and again that the UFC is built to break traditional norms and set the bar higher. Until a few years ago, no one would have imagined a sporting event taking place at the White House. However, the UFC made it happen in a way no one else could have. Talking about the same, the UFC boss explained how, in boxing, the fighters and location once played a major role in selling a fight, but the Islam Makhachev and Ian Garry fight has put that idea in the dustbin.

Dana White Says UFC No Longer Needs Ethnic Rivalries to Make Fights Sell

White said boxing used to depend a lot on where a fight was happening. Promoters wanted local fighters who could bring their own fans. But White believes things are different now. He pointed to a recent UFC 330 fight in Philadelphia between Dagestan’s Makhachev and Irish fighter Garry. The event sold out and broke a record. For the UFC boss, this shows that fans care more about good fights than where the fighters come from.

In his words, “Traditionally, in boxing, when I was involved in boxing before the UFC, you had to fight in Las Vegas or Atlantic City. If you were fighting in New York, you better have a Puerto Rican. If you were fighting in LA, you better have a Mexican. A couple of weeks ago, a Russian Muslim fought an Irish kid in Philly. We sold it out and broke the record. At the end of the day, what matters are the fights that are being put on.”

Now, there is a huge discussion going on about whether Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua should fight at Madison Square Garden or if it should take place at Wembley Stadium, as both are British boxing legends. Meanwhile, as per White, the names themselves sell the fight, no matter where it takes place.

Dana White Reveals What Makes Zuffa Boxing Different From Other Promotions

When White entered boxing with Zuffa Boxing, everyone had one big question: how would he make it different? White says Zuffa Boxing will not work like other boxing companies. He feels some promoters only care about making money for themselves. However, Zuffa Boxing’s plan is to make sure everyone wins, which White believes will make Zuffa Boxing different.

“Boxing comes in like a going out of business sale and grabs as much money as they can from everybody and doesn't give a shit if anybody else makes money off the event...It's just not how we operate. We want everybody to win. The network. The sponsors. The fighters. The venues. That's the difference between us and everybody else in boxing,” White stated.

Indeed, Zuffa Boxing only started this year, but it has already had a strong start with fighters like Conor Benn, Ryan Garcia, and others. If things continue this way, the future of Zuffa Boxing looks bright under Dana White’s leadership.