A Leadership Vacuum: How Zuffa Boxing is Exploiting a Fragmented Sport

A move based on identifying and attacking weakness

Dana White is moving aggressively into boxing because he recognizes the sport’s leadership is too fragmented to stop him right now. His public attacks on sanctioning bodies and established promoters Sunday night reflected more than promotional bluster. They revealed a calculated belief that boxing’s traditional power brokers have weakened to the point where an outside operator can enter and dictate terms instead of negotiating them.

White delivered those remarks after his third Zuffa Boxing card at the UFC Apex, where a series of stoppage victories reinforced the image of momentum he is trying to build. Lightweight Jaybrio Pe Benito stopped unbeaten Abel Mejia. Umar Dzambekov finished Ahmed Elbiali with an uppercut in the second round. Efe Ajagba dropped and stopped former heavyweight titleholder Charles Martin. The results gave White the kind of emphatic outcomes that strengthen a promoter’s credibility with fighters looking for opportunity and activity.

White directed some of his sharpest criticism at WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman, whose attempt to collect a sanctioning fee from Shakur Stevenson after Stevenson defeated Teofimo Lopez created public backlash. Stevenson refused to pay and accused the organization of acting improperly, giving White an opening to question the motives and authority of the sanctioning system.

“This Sulaiman guy is incredible,” White said. “He is the greatest P.R. guy for how [messed] up boxing is of all time.”

White has made it clear he does not intend to build Zuffa Boxing around cooperation with sanctioning bodies. His roster already includes cruiserweight champion Jai Opetaia, and the promotion formally added former featherweight titleholder Mark Magsayo on Sunday. Teofimo Lopez attended the event, fueling speculation that fighters with established championship credibility are evaluating White’s platform as a viable alternative to traditional promoters.

“There hasn’t been any pushback,” White said. “This is like beating up babies. I expected more. I expected some pushback, that there would be more pain. They’re all way out of their league.”

White’s confidence reflects a moment of visible instability across boxing’s established structure. Top Rank continues adjusting its broadcast position after its previous television arrangement ended. Golden Boy Promotions remains tied up in legal conflict with Vergil Ortiz Jr. Premier Boxing Champions has operated on a reduced schedule compared to prior years. These conditions create openings for a new entrant willing to move quickly while established players reorganize.

At the same time, boxing’s history shows that operating independently from sanctioning bodies carries limitations. Fighters ultimately pursue championship recognition, undisputed status, and legacy validation tied to those titles. Any promoter attempting to operate outside that system long term must either force structural change or eventually engage with the same organizations they once criticized. White’s model gives him short-term autonomy, but lasting influence will depend on whether his promotion can sustain activity, attract elite fighters, and deliver fights that carry recognized championship significance.

White is capitalizing on a rare period when boxing’s leadership appears divided and reactive rather than unified and assertive. His early success reflects both strategic timing and aggressive execution. Whether that momentum leads to lasting structural change or temporary disruption will depend less on White’s confidence and more on how quickly boxing’s existing power structure responds to a promoter who has entered the sport without waiting for permission.