Dana White announces Zuffa Boxing will have its own belt and will NOT recognize the other bodies

There are definitely caveats but I do think that the "best fight the best" narrative is like 90% true. Yeah there are guys here and there scattered around other promotions that could probably be in the mix at the top end of their divisions in the UFC, but the UFC has by far the biggest concentration of elite talent in every division at this point, so success there is the best measuring stick.

I was rooting for the PFL to up their game and establish themselves as a solid competitor but they have shat the bed in monumental fashion unfortunately. Say what you will about Dana but Donn Davis is such a moron he makes Dana seem not so bad. Bellator ultimately amounted to nothing too, when Coker took over he put too much focus on making novelty fights between badly washed up ex-UFC and Pride names. Its weird because Coker did a great job with Strikeforce before that.

I think Nemkov would be top 5 for sure. Its sad how dead HW MMA is, and has been for years now. It was better than HW boxing from the mid 00s through the first half of the 2010s imo, now theres absolutely zero comparison.

 

Inside Zuffa Boxing: What Dana White’s New Venture Means for Fighters And The Future of The Sport
/ Boxing, Featured / By Abraham Gonzalez / October 16, 2025
https://fightsatw.com/inside-zuffa-...ans-for-fighters-and-the-future-of-the-sport/

Interesting and very detailed article on their contracts, who is working with whom etc. So far the most detailed one I have seen

 

I don't care about the belts. I just want good fights. If this new org makes good fight I will watch.

 

Good fights are always the bottom line, I hope it results in discovering and showcasing great talent.

This.

 

Massive money backing doesn't equal success.

See: Google Stadia, Zume, Prime Gaming, A380, Microsoft's Zune...

 

mma is terrible and boxing is dying. White can't change either fact.

 

My fantasy boxing league is also going to have its own belt and we will have cards on the moon.

Why do people care about a completely unproven and untested product that hasn't even been launched yet?

 

I think you are very late, boxing either died in 1913 or 1938

"Professional boxing is dying a natural death" LA Times, 1913

Dempsey Foresees Boxing's Doom; Calls for Czar to Clean Up Game; Ex-Champion Gives Sport One More Year of Life If Present Tendencies Are Unchecked--Schmeling's Right to Title Boat Defended--Louis's Qualifications Questioned
April 23, 1937

One more year at its present pace and the fight game will be washed up, Jack Dempsey bluntly predicted today. "Something must be done, and if it isn't done within the next year we just won't have any boxing," flared the 42-year-old former heavyweight master. "In the past five years boxing has deteriorated so much that all other sports have gone far ahead.
https://www.nytimes.com/1937/04/23/...ngs-doom-calls-for-czar-to-clean-up-game.html

 

Its not an unproven and untested product its copying what the UFC did in MMA.

 

Neither of these things are close to being true.

 

Surely the corrupt WBC, WBA, IBF and WBO aren't complaining.

 

Rumours of boxing's death have been premature on numerous occassions.

 

Many people bring up these reports whenever the state of boxing is brought up. My two cents on the subject:
These are Americans reporting on how they see the sport.
America dominated boxing for centuries. Even if the world champions were not American they most likely made their careers in America.
Boxing in America is most certainly dying, and has been dying a slow death for a very long time now.

The sport used to be on all of the major networks, but eventually got moved to premium channels like HBO. All of the mega fights were put behind a paywall. Gradually the number of major networks showing the sport decreased, and the world champions scattered across the globe. Oleksander Usyk is the best example of the decline of American boxing, as he is the first ever undisputed heavyweight champion who never had a heavyweight championship fight in the US. Its unprecedented for the top heavyweight not to fight in the US at all.
And then there is the fact that many of the major networks have exited the sport, like; NBC, Fox Sports, HBO, SHO, CBS, ABC. Seemingly ESPN is also one foot out of the door. Amazon is refusing to make any commitments and Netflix is testing the waters with freakshow fights.

There used to be a prestige about fighting in the US, fighting on their premium networks and in their big cities. All of this has died in the last couple of decades.

And look at the sorry state of the current US schedule. Ortiz vs Lubin is the biggest card scheduled right now, with nothing major on the horizon or even rumored. Well, besides the Tank vs Paul bull****.



As a global sport boxing is very healthy, but in the US it is absolutely dying.
Edit: Where are all of the big US promoters? Where are all of the small guys like Dibella, Duva, and Goosen?
There is no one left, and no one to replace them.

 

How are you going to take over the sport with an in house tournament of mid carders and journeymen? His vision seems very conflicted. I could see it being popular but he’s not taking over boxing any time soon.

 

Not Sam's belt

Not Jack's belt

Not Laryy's belt

Not Wlad's belt


Do not give a **** about it. IBO belts matter more to me.