Spencer Brown thinks Zuffa Boxing might have to purchase established promotional outfits if Dana White wants rapid growth. Most top fighters remain locked into existing deals with competing promoters, meaning building a stable fighter by fighter could take years.
Brown cited the heavyweight division to illustrate the problem. Queensberry controls much of the talent there. Deep pockets alone will not let Zuffa poach contracted talent.
“I still don’t think it’s possible to build a grassroots organization like that in a couple of years,” Brown told The Ariel Helwani Show. “I just think it’s impossible, bearing in mind that everybody’s contracted to different companies.”
Under current conditions, Zuffa must wait until contracts expire before entering bidding wars for available talent.
“You’ve got to sit and wait for people’s contracts to go. And then you’ve got to match that money. It’s not easy,” Brown said. “The only way I think they could do it is possibly going around buying companies.”
Purchasing an active promotional outfit could instantly hand Zuffa an entire stable. It also brings experienced backroom personnel needed to stage regular events. That route demands a heavier investment than signing lone stars, with success hinging on company availability.
Staging internal matchups poses another hurdle. Inking a single champion solves only part of the puzzle because that champion needs credible opponents for regular bouts. Without real depth, Zuffa must still negotiate with rival promoters.
While Brown praised Zuffa for handling Jai Opetaia, he maintains that real development takes patience. Tyson Fury sees things differently.
“I was having a good conversation with Tyson about it. He thinks it’s going to work,” Brown noted.
Acquiring existing promoters offers Zuffa a potential fast track. White’s next moves will signal whether he prefers an acquisition or intends to assemble his roster one signing at a time.
The acquisition route makes conceptual sense if Dana White wants to bypass the grueling multi-year talent hunt, but the execution creates massive financial and regulatory friction.
Buying an outfit outright would be expensive, yet the real danger is not just the initial price tag. The risk lies in acquiring dead weight. In boxing, an agency or promotional outfit does not carry assets the way traditional corporate buyouts do. You are not purchasing factories, physical intellectual property, or permanent team rosters.
You are buying promotional contracts with specific expiration dates, mandatory bout obligations, and termination clauses. The moment a fighter’s term ends or a contractual breach gets litigated under the Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act, that asset walks out the door. Paying tens or hundreds of millions for a company could leave Zuffa owning an empty shell within twenty-four months if top stars refuse extensions under White’s restrictive terms.
If Zuffa insists on dropping serious cash on an acquisition, looking at the major candidates reveals where the best target sits:
Golden Boy Promotions stands out as the most logical, high-impact target. Oscar De La Hoya has spent years navigating internal friction with his top names, and Golden Boy owns proven promotional footprints across key markets like California, Texas, and Nevada. Taking over Golden Boy delivers deep, viable talent pools around lightweight through super middleweight, gives Zuffa immediate headline capability, and eliminates an outspoken competitor in one sweep.
Premier Boxing Champions represents the sheer volume target, but comes with serious liabilities. Al Haymon built a massive, interconnected roster spanning multiple divisions, along with seasoned operational personnel. However, PBC carries heavy legacy baggage and relies on decentralized adviser relationships rather than strict company allegiance. Acquiring PBC brings depth, but untangling who truly controls each fighter would be a legal quagmire.
Top Rank holds the gold standard in scouting, matchmakers, international development, and an unmatched fight library. Bob Arum’s machine has developed elite talent from the ground up for half a century. The issue is cost and control. Arum and Top Rank leadership run a tight family business that protects its autonomy, making an outright sale unlikely unless the valuation reaches astronomical numbers.
Matchroom and Queensberry are essentially non-starters for full takeovers. Frank Warren is entrenched with deep local television relationships in the UK, while Eddie Hearn views Matchroom as a sprawling global entertainment conglomerate with outside institutional backing. The price would be steep, and the cultural clash between White’s dictatorial promotional model and their independent operations would trigger immediate contract fights.
If Zuffa pulls the trigger on an outright purchase, Golden Boy gives White the quickest return on investment. It would provide instant top-tier talent, prime domestic event capability, and legitimate opponents for his existing names without inheriting the sprawling financial headaches of PBC.
