On March 5, 2025, boxing was hit with news of a seismic shift due to the announcement of a groundbreaking partnership between UFC President and CEO Dana White and Turki Alalshikh, Chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority (GEA). Together, they’ve teamed up with TKO Group Holdings, Inc.—the parent company of UFC and WWE—and Saudi entertainment giant Sela to launch a new boxing promotion. Expected to fully launch in 2026, Turki Alalshikh hinted to Pat McAfee of ESPN that an event or fight of some kind under their banner could be coming as early as September this year.
How Dana White and Turki Alalshikh Plan to Fix Boxing
The heart of this new boxing promotion comes from the way Dana White has conducted his business with MMA, in that ‘the best fight the best’. Dana White, in a social media video, stressed that the league will adopt a model “proven to deliver the fights fans want to see.” White intends to, wherever he can, eliminate the politics and matchmaking, which is largely designed to protect and pad the records of future stars, something that he has complained about in the past. “Fighters will rise through the rankings to become undisputed world champions,” he declared – comments which will probably not be received well by boxing sanctioning bodies (WBA, WBC, IBF and WBO).
Turki Alalshikh said in the announcement: “I am very happy today. I give the flag of boxing to the best man who can handle it. We have a tough job, but I’m sure he’ll deliver a magnificent league and make boxing great again.” Alalshikh’s track record speaks for itself—through Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh Season, he’s delivered blockbuster bouts like Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk and Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol and in the process, has brought together long time rivals such as Eddie Hearn and Frank Warren, who prior o Turki’s involvement, were reulctant to do business with each other.
The 2026 Boxing League: A Powerhouse Partnership
TKO Group Holdings, formed in 2023 via the UFC-WWE merger under the umbrella of Endeavor, brings operational expertise, media production, and a global stage. Alalshikh contributes a seemingly endless money pit via the Public Investment Fund (PIF), along with an impatient determination to get blockbuster fights put together as quickly as possible.
Interestingly, all fighters in this new boxing promotion will access the UFC Performance Institute, a cutting-edge facility in Las Vegas, Mexico City, and Shanghai. Known for elite training, rehab, and nutrition, it’s a perk that comes with the job, which traditional boxing promotions can’t compete with at this moment in time, and the fact they are based around the globe – with aims to build one in Africa also – add to the global draw.
A common criticism of boxing is the fact that there are too many belts and weight divisions. White has often criticized this and recently told Sports Illustrated, “It’s broken, fragmented, and the big fights never happen.” The UFC CEO has hinted at fewer weight classes with each division competing for a single belt.
Challenges Facing the 2026 Boxing League
This ambitious venture isn’t without obstacles. Here’s what it faces:
- Resistance from Stakeholders: Promotions such as Queensbury and Matchroom may not play ball with the idea
- Attracting Talent: Boxing’s stars are spread across promotions—convincing them to join the new league could prove difficult.
- The Sportswashing Debate: Saudi Arabia’s role sparks criticism, as it has done with their involement in sports such as F1 and Golf. Some will view this as a move to polish its image amid human rights concerns.
- Wil the league be able to attract top talent? Or wil more focus be given to developing fighters.
- How will it generate a profit, given Alalshikh’s push against high PPV prices and prior willingness to pay boxers huge sums?
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