Ryan Garcia has warned Dana White and Turki Alalshikh over the launch of their boxing league.
White has effectively monopolised the sport of MMA with his promotion UFC, which has bred some huge stars including Conor McGregor and Jon Jones.
GettyGarcia has offered a warning to White and Alalshikh[/caption]
He recently announced his long-anticipated venture into boxing promotion alongside Saudi chief Turki Alalshikh.
The launch promises to create a boxing league with reduced weight classes, and the potential for one title belt per weight class.
Governing bodies and promoters have all reacted differently to the prospect of White looking to make waves in the sweet science in the coming years.
But from a fighters’ point of view, boxing star Garcia has admitted it could be received poorly.
He said: ”Yeah, I mean, if they pay like the UFC, we might not like it, but I’m happy.
“You know, Dana is getting involved, he’s a great dude, and I’m sure they’re going to do big things.”
White has faced backlash from fighters over pay and conditions including former UFC heavyweight Francis Ngannou.
The model has led to fighters earning far less than the multi-millions on offer for lucrative high-end bouts in the boxing ring.
But with the financial backing of Alalshikh, anything could be possible with the pair looking to break the boundaries brought about by boxing politics.
They have big plans moving forward for the TKO boxing league, which includes four ‘super fights’ in the next two years.
It is expected that the first of those will be Canelo Alvarez’s mega-fight with Terence Crawford.
There has been a mixed reaction from the boxing fraternity to the news of the new promotion being formed.
Eddie Hearn was more optimistic on the future of the sport with White’s arrival imminent.
“When Turki does his interviews and his announcements, he is very bullish,” Hearn said.
“Whether you take [what he said] seriously and whether that is his plan, it probably ruffled a few feathers.
“My phone has been red hot with people saying, ‘We have got to get together’. But I am pretty chilled about it.
“I think it is amazing news to be honest with you. If you are comfortable with your business and you believe in your ability, then I think it is brilliant.
“Any time someone like Dana White, TKO and Nick Khan want to make a play in boxing, that goes to show you where boxing is at.
“The one thing I disagree with His Excellency and Dana White over is that boxing is not broken. Boxing is in the best place it has ever been in.
“Riyadh Season and His Excellency have injected that new lease of life, and, of course, a huge amount of money as well to make these big fights happen.
“So I don’t think anyone’s gonna fix boxing, but can we improve it? Can we put better structures together?
“Can we come up with leagues that are gonna work and find one champion and all this kind of stuff? Yeah, I think we should always look to evolve.”
