UFC’s ascension showed pathway to surpassing boxing even if the road isn’t easy

LAS VEGAS (AP) – Dana White showed the path was there when he accomplished what previously seemed unthinkable – a combat sport that could catch and even surpass boxing.

Now it seems equally unlikely another combat sport will do the same, but several are trying, including another one backed by White.

UFC will be at center stage Saturday when it holds its first card at the Sphere in Las Vegas, competing with a Canelo Alvarez-headlined title fight just three miles away at T-Mobile Arena.

The UFC´s rise to become an $11.3 billion company, according to Forbes’ valuation, showed there was an appetite for more than one combat sport. That has given hope to other organizations such as the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship, Professional Fighters League and White’s Power Slap.

Kevin Iole, who covered combat sports for Yahoo Sports for 17 years before creating his own website this year, said what White accomplished will be difficult to replicate.

“Dana was the perfect guy at the perfect time in the right spot,” Iole said. “He understands the fighters really well and he understands what motivates them. He understands what fans like. Really what he understands is what young people like. There are not a lot of Dana Whites out there.”

Mike Silver, who has authored several books on boxing including “The Arc of Boxing: The Rise and Decline of the Sweet Science,” acknowledged the headway the UFC made in showing other forms of combat sports could succeed. But he also noted boxing’s multiple issues and controversies created the opening for others.

Too many weight classes. Too many organizations. Too many questionable deals. Not enough star power.

“How can you follow a sport like that?” Silver asked. “What if the World Series had four World Series winners? What if there were four Super Bowl winners?”

It wasn’t easy, however, for the UFC in the beginning. A skeptical public didn’t initially buy into an organization with seemingly few rules. White and Lorenzo Fertitta, the former CEO, brought order to the UFC, reduced the number of weight classes and promoted their stars to replicate what boxing often still does best – make fight night an event.

Silver said White’s timing was perfect because boxing “was losing a lot of its older core audience.”

“If boxing had a Dana White running it, I would say it would be run much better,” Silver said.

Is there another combat sport that can follow the UFC’s path?

The promotion staged the first state-sanctioned bare-knuckle event in the United States since 1889 when Cheyenne, Wyoming, hosted the organization’s inaugural card in 2018.

Since then, BKFC has hosted cards in multiple states and countries. A sure sign of its trajectory came on April 27 when UFC star Conor McGregor became a part-owner.

“Welcome to the big leagues,” McGregor announced.

“I think bare knuckle is not trying to be competitive with boxing,” Silver said. “I think they´re trying to be competitive with MMA. They´re trying to capture some of the MMA audience. They might capture some of the boxing, but the boxing audience won´t really go for them.”

BKFC faced a crisis when Justin Thornton was knocked out on Aug. 20, 2021, in Biloxi, Mississippi, and died six weeks later at 38. His death caused many, including the UFC’s White, to question why such an apparent mismatch was put together.

Thornton’s death could’ve meant the end of the promotion, but the organization not only stayed around, it is gaining momentum.

Iole said BKFC would be more formidable if it began creating its own home-grown stars.

“They´re doing OK now and they´re going to do better as time goes on,” Iole said. “Do I think it´s ever going to explode and become mainstream and anywhere near where the UFC is? No.”

PFL was created in 2017 after acquiring the World Series of Fighting. PFL operates more like a traditional team sport with a season schedule and playoff format.

PFL’s acquisition of Bellator in November was a signal it wasn´t going anywhere. Bellator MMA is one of five franchises under one large PFL umbrella. PFL’s roster includes 30% of all MMA fighters worldwide, according to its website, and it is looking to make further inroads on an international level. Forbes’ valuation is $690 million.

Saudi Arabia-backed SRJ Sports Investments bought a minority stake in PFL last September.

“PFL has become the clear No. 2 MMA company in just five years, and with SRJ´s backing, the best of PFL is still to come,” PFL CEO Peter Murray said in a statement when the deal was announced.

Iole said he has seen other similar leagues follow a similar script only to go “down the tubes.”

“I’m not saying the PFL is going down the tubes,” Iole said. “But they are making a pittance from TV compared to what UFC is. UFC is out there negotiating their new deal. It’s going to be outrageous how much they make in their new deal.”

Also worth watching: ONE Championship. The Singapore-based organization, valued by Forbes at $1.3 billion, maintains a focus on Asia but has staged events in North America and the Middle East with the hopes of becoming a larger player in both regions.

White is fully on board with Power Slap, which created national news when in October 2022 the Nevada Athletic Commission sanctioned events. California, Florida and Texas have since followed.

“By the end of the year, we’ll have every athletic commission,” White said.

He said deals were recently agreed upon with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to hold events in those countries.

The sport is just what it sounds like, a slap competition. Both competitors face each other, and whoever wins the coin toss gets first crack at slapping the other person.

Critics have raised questions about the possibilities of chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE. Even so, White has repeatedly insisted this sport is the next big thing in combat sports, comparing it to the UFC’s rise.

Iole agrees, pointing out Power Slap has attracted such major sponsors as Anheuser-Busch, Fanatics and Monster Energy.

The UFC said Power Slap is valued at $750 million, and Iole said it is on the way to becoming a $1 billion company with events taking place nationwide.

“They are making money hand over fist with this now,” Iole said.

Silver was more skeptical about Power Slap’s future.

“I think it’s one step above arm wrestling,” Silver said. “I mean, who comes up with this stuff? But people are going to watch it. Is it going to rival MMA? Of course not. It’s a flash in the pan. It’s not going to catch on. It’s like roller derby. It may be around a few years, but it’s sort of a sideshow to combat sports.”

Sam Alver, far left, is checked on between rounds during a UFC 249 mixed martial arts bout, May 9, 2020, in Jacksonville, Fla.

Mike Perry, a boxer, MMA fighter and now does bareknuckle fighting, poses for a photo at the Teknique Boxing gym on May 22, 2024, in Minneola, Fla.

Dana White, president of UFC, speaks at a news conference after the UFC 229 mixed martial arts event in Las Vegas, on Oct. 6, 2018.