Bob Arum has launched his most blistering attack yet on UFC president Dana White, labeling his move into boxing as a “cancer” that threatens the very fabric of the sport.
The 94-year-old Hall of Fame promoter, who has promoted legendary boxers such as Muhammad Ali, Mike Tyson, and Manny Pacquiao, did not mince words in an interview with Fight Hub TV when discussing White’s Zuffa Boxing venture and its potential to reshape the traditional landscape.
This war of words comes at a critical juncture, as White’s Zuffa Boxing has already begun signing top talent and promoting events this year.
(Via Fight Hub TV on YouTube):
“Dana White really is a cancer for boxing because you come in and you want to get rid of all the sanctioning bodies, and we know where that’s going to lead,” Arum stated in the interview.
At the heart of the dispute is the proposed Muhammad Ali American Boxing Revival Act, which White and Saudi advisor Turki Alalshikh are backing, while boxers like Roy Jones Jr. and Muhammad Ali’s own grandson, Nico Ali Walsh, have been vocally against.
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The legislation would allow the creation of a Unified Boxing Organization (UBO), effectively letting Zuffa act as both promoter and governing body with its own belts.
Arum continued, “[Dana White wants] to get rid of all the sanctioning bodies, and we know where that’s going to lead.”
Arum argues this would tear down the long-standing WBC, WBA, WBO, and IBF system that boxers have historically relied upon for recognition.
Beyond structural concerns, Arum issued a stern warning about fighter compensation, citing multiple antitrust lawsuits against the UFC as a cautionary tale.
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“We know what happened with Dana White and the UFC and how they made a lot of money by underpaying the fighters,” Arum asserted. “They’ve just lost a lawsuit for 350 million. They’re about to lose another.”
Arum continued with a rhetorical question, asking, “Why? Because they pay their fighters peanuts, and they make all the money themselves, and they talk about building the sport and so forth.”
The 93-year-old promoter’s comments highlight a deep ideological rift over whether boxing should adopt a single-dominant organization or maintain its independent regulatory framework.
“So if they got a foothold in boxing, in my opinion, it would be the same thing as far as the boxers were concerned,” he warned. “Initially, they’d make money, but ultimately they’d be like paupers.”
Possibility of Zuffa Collaboration
When asked if he would ever co-promote with Dana White’s promotion, Zuffa Boxing, Arum surprisingly left the door open, but he doubled down on his stance regarding the promotion’s boss.
“It’s not a question of Zuffa Boxing. I just think that Dana White would end up being a cancer for the sport,” he reiterated.
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“I don’t like how he operated in the UFC. That wasn’t fun,” he continued. “[They’re] underpaying all these fighters, so they had to go into court and they settled one suit for 350 million and looking to settle the next suit for even more.”
The Top Rank founder believes boxing’s current competitive promotional landscape ensures elite fighters are paid significantly better than in a centralized UBO model.
“Boxing promoters, by and large, don’t operate that way,” he claimed. “They pay the fighters what they’re worth. Some say they overpay the fighters. But I don’t like the way Dana White and the UFC operate.”