Boxing legend Mike Tyson has big plans for his longtime friend Dana White. The former heavyweight champion wants to join forces with the UFC boss to make history in the boxing world.
White recently jumped into boxing promotion with both feet. He organized the huge September fight between Canelo Alvarez and Terence Crawford with help from Saudi boxing chief Turki Alalshikh.
The match streamed on Netflix and went the full distance in Las Vegas.
White has huge plans for boxing over the next few years. His new company Zuffa Boxing will put on 12 shows in 2026 on Paramount. Paramount just signed a massive $7.7 billion deal to become the home of UFC for the next seven years.
Tyson thinks White can change boxing forever. But the 59-year-old boxing icon believes his boss needs more help to reach the top. Tyson told HardRockbet that he has the perfect solution.
“I think he would do well to have more options,” Tyson explained. “I think, if he hired me, he would win totally.”
Tyson and White go back many years together. They became friends long before White turned UFC into a billion-dollar company. Tyson remembers those early days clearly.
“I knew Dana when he had hair,” Tyson said. “What he does, the UFC is great. Now we’re going to get him over to boxing and help him become the greatest promoter of all time.”
Iron Mike wants to use his decades of boxing knowledge to help White succeed. Tyson spent his entire life in the sport.
He won the heavyweight title at age 20 and became the youngest heavyweight champion ever. He knows how boxing works from every angle.
Tyson came out of retirement in November 2024 to face Jake Paul. The YouTuber-turned-boxer beat Tyson by unanimous decision in their match.
But Tyson walked away happy after earning $20 million for the comeback fight.
Now Tyson has another big match scheduled. He plans to face Floyd Mayweather in an exhibition bout next year. The two legends will meet in what promises to be a massive event.
Mayweather retired with a perfect 50-0 record and is considered one of the greatest boxers ever.
Tyson sounds confident about his chances against Mayweather. He spoke about the upcoming fight with his usual swagger and boldness.
“It looks like he’s going to get knocked out,” Tyson said of his fight with the undefeated boxing icon. The comment shows Tyson still has that fighting spirit even at 59 years old.
White built UFC into the most powerful combat sports organization in the world. He took over as president in 2001 when the company was struggling. Under his leadership, UFC grew from a small operation into a global powerhouse worth billions of dollars.
Now White wants to do the same thing for boxing. The sport has struggled with too many different champions and confusing titles.
Fans often complain they cannot follow who the real champions are. Multiple organizations each have their own belts for every weight class.
White plans to simplify everything. He wants to create clear champions and exciting matchups that fans actually want to see.
His track record with UFC shows he knows how to build a sports league that works.
Tyson believes his experience can help White avoid mistakes. Boxing promotion has different challenges than UFC.
The sweet science has its own culture and history that goes back over 100 years. Tyson lived through that culture as both a fighter and a fan.
The partnership could benefit both men. White gets advice from one of boxing’s most famous names. Tyson gets a chance to stay involved in the sport he loves. Together they might create something special for boxing fans around the world.
Zuffa Boxing faces tough competition from established promoters. Top Rank, Golden Boy Promotions, and Matchroom Boxing all have years of experience.
They control relationships with many top fighters. But White has something they do not have – a proven system for building pay-per-view stars and creating must-see events.
The first Zuffa Boxing shows will tell the story. Fans will watch closely to see if White can deliver the exciting matchups he promises.
If Tyson joins the team, his knowledge and star power could make a real difference.
White and Alalshikh already showed they can work together on big events. The Canelo-Crawford fight generated massive interest and strong viewership numbers.
If they keep putting together fights fans want to watch, boxing could enter a new golden age.
Tyson stays busy even in his late 50s. He trains regularly and stays in fighting shape. His exhibition match with Mayweather will give fans another chance to see two legends in action.
After that fight, Tyson might focus more energy on the promotion side of boxing.
The next few years will show if White can revolutionize boxing like he did with UFC. With Tyson potentially joining the team, Zuffa Boxing has a real shot at success.
The combination of White’s business skills and Tyson’s boxing wisdom could create something powerful for the sport.
