The UFC President is currently taking meetings with members of the boxing business including promoters, managers and crucially for him, TV networks ahead of becoming a boxing promoter later this year.
As good as a promoter White is and he’s proven he’s good with the UFC, he still needs a TV deal.
The UFC operates mainly on the likes of Fox for its network partner outside of pay per view and this had been suggested by some as his logical way to get into boxing as a promoter.
In terms of perhaps asking them for a similar TV deal for his would be boxing stable that he plans on signing.
However in a twist of events this might not be the case at all.
Here he is sitting next to the head of HBO Boxing Peter Nelson (hint, hint, nudge, nudge):
HBO since parting company with an American boxing promoter last year have filled up a few small number of dates with Englishman Eddie Hearn, who’s opened a US office to promote boxing this year with at least four to six dates this year planned on the network for him.
But that still leaves a lot of free dates by a company as large as HBO who are owned a controlled by the gigantic Time Warner group.
White is expected to promote his first boxing event in the first quarter of the year and leading partners for him are thought to be Al Haymon and Lou Di Bella in the US.
The main question for me though will be what fighters he’ll sign.
Great if he gets a TV deal but perhaps he will be able to promote some of Haymon’s fighters.
I’m guessing that’s his plan at the moment but time will tell.
