LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — Dana White, businessman and face of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, has famously decided to dip his toes into different combat sports waters.
On Saturday, Allegiant Stadium will host Canelo Álvarez and Terence Crawford in a massive fight that aims to rejigger the world of professional boxing, with White intent on making every fight matter in the sport. The challenges for the UFC president have been daunting.
“I never thought that I could be busier than I was the last several years. And this year has been insane. I literally don’t have time at all,” White said. “When you’re sitting in Allegiant Stadium on Saturday, you can’t feel like you’re watching two ants fight on a matchbook.”
The arena, which seated nearly 70,000 for each of the two nights of WrestleMania 41 in April, presents a unique challenge in providing a connection for the fans who buy a ticket and filter through the turnstiles. White said the fight is going to be great viewing on television, and he wants to provide the same experience to the audience in real life.
“I want you to feel the same way about the live event,” he said, adding that the fight is expected to become the third-largest boxing gate of all time.
Before the last fan leaves Allegiant Stadium on Saturday after the “once-in-a-lifetime fight,” White will have already moved on to his next challenge. Between his recent entry into boxing, the continued growth of the UFC, and the expansion of Performance Institutes worldwide, he said he has no plan to stop and relax.
“I get [to the UFC facilities] every day at 8:30. I’m not saying I’m the first guy to get here every day, but I’ll tell you this: I’m the last guy to leave every day,” White said.
He discussed the forthcoming UFC fight meant to celebrate America’s 250th year of independence, set on the White House lawn. President Donald Trump announced his intent to host the fight over the Fourth of July weekend. White confirmed that the plan is very real.
“I was there last week with my team, and we literally sat in the Oval Office, and that’s where the meeting was,” White said. “We put up all the renderings and showed him. He was blown away, and his team was blown away. And now we’re digging in and getting to work.”
White expects work to begin on the historic event in early 2026.
“Things are going to happen that I would never dream of or couldn’t expect to happen,” he said. “We’ll start laying out that card in February.”
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