A highly contentious article from BoxingScene highlighting the salaries set to be distributed to fighters that will participate in the upcoming boxing league/promotion, jointly announced by Dana White and Turki Alalshikh, has been slammed by the latter.
The TKO Boxing venture is set to be launched in 2026, but based on BoxingScene the contracts that were drafted would see fighters paid the following:
–$20,000 for a 10-round bout by an unranked fighter.
–$50,000 when ranked by “the company” at No. 5 to No. 10.
–$125,000 when ranked by the company at No. 3 to No. 4.
–$375,000 when challenging for “company” championship.
–$750,000 when defending “company” championship.
Alalshikh’s response was almost instantaneous as he would call out BoxingScene’s owner, Garry Jonas, following this revelation and firmly debunk the notion of the salary framework for fighters being true:
“This article is not factually accurate,” Alalshikh reportedly said.
“I think Garry Jonas should focus on his business in Florida because he doesn’t want the FTC to call him again. I am wondering what is the structure of his business model with the rehab facilities and boxing.”
Alalshikh’s last statement arguably appears more like an idle threat, and suggests that there might be some truth to BoxingScene’s article given Alalshikh stooped to what can be construed as a personal attack towards Jonas, evident by his extensive knowledge of Jonas’ businesses.
With the Ultimate Fighting Championsip (UFC), ran by Dana White, having faced a slew of criticism for years due to UFC fighters being underpaid, this salary structure might not come as a full surprise but does characterize the frenzy surrounding the league/promotion which clearly is still in development.
There are further some concerns regarding whether this new venture would make a real difference boxing, with no actual steps having been delineated to address the corruption in the sport. By all appearances, the boxing league/promotion that TKO is aiming to make is merely attempting to become another major player in the sport rather than a genuine gamechanger.
Dana White himself did not help matters during a recent interview with boxing reporter Dan Rafael as he firmly debunked the notion of TKO’s upcoming promotion of being an actual league:
“I hate the world ‘league’. Come on, this is a boxing promotion,” White told Rafael on the “Big Fight Weekend/Fight Freaks Unite Preview Podcast”.
“When did boxing start? 1681 was the first boxing match. It’s 2025, now think about this. Think about any brand, business, sport, anything, that has created trillions of dollars of revenue, been about for hundreds of years, and at the end of the day there’s nothing there. Literally nothing.
“So they should look at us as a league because we’re going to build a business with boxing, which has never been done before. It’s never even been attempted before. People say it has, because this guy raised money and that guy raised money, but there’s no plan to really build a league. All anyone’s ever done in the sport is take from it.
“No one has ever reinvested back in the sport. The only one that’s ever invested in the sport of boxing is [Turki Alalshikh].“
Though Dana White heaped heavy praise upon how his future promotion could change things, comprehensive details surrounding the promotion ― which despite having been described as a ‘league’ is not one ― have only revealed the availability of UFC training facilities for fighters with the promotion, as well as other benefits that other promotions cannot produce.
However, concrete information on what the promotion will offer to fighters have not been substantiated upon. White would further admit there were no fighters yet signed with the promotion, and no broadcasting contracts have yet been established.
A name for this promotion is notably also absent, though it is widely referred to in the media as the “TKO Boxing League“. According to White himself, however, referring to the promotion as a league does not accurately describe the promotion.
Dana White also indicated during the interview he would not work alongside other promotions or sanctioning bodies, which again points towards a situation where boxing is not altered in any significant shape or form other than introducing another promotion that is looking to capitalize on the sport:
“I’m going to create our own belt,” White stated.
However, Rafael quickly stepped in to point out the Muhammad Ali Act prohibits promotions from creating their own titles, with only sanctioning bodies being allowed to do so:
“Well, yeah, we gotta figure that out,” Came White’s response afterwards. “I’m not interested in working with sanctioning bodies. I have no interest in them whatsoever.“
Despite White’s stance, he acknowledged that Alalshikh will likely continue to do work with other promotions and sanctioning bodies through Riyadh Season which the Saudi official heads:
“He [Alalshikh] will continue to [work with the sanctioning bodies],” White asserted. “[But] not with the thing I’m working on. I’m working on not working with them.“
Alalshikh’s own statements further suggested there were no actual plans to collaborate with other sanctioning bodies or promotions:
“Last week, we announced the first league of boxing with TKO and Dana White,” Alalshikh said.
“We are going to focus in this league on the talent and to give the opportunity to the fighters, and to make something that the fans will love it. We have a lot of ideas. I will keep it [to myself] until the right time, because Dana is the CEO of the company and the league, [and he will] announce it.
“This league is a project that is not against anyone, not against commissions, not against the promoters…. this is my opinion and from my side. This is a project that has space in the market and you will still see the four belts, the commissions and the promoters. The market is huge and no one can delete anyone from this market.“
While not painting the upcoming TKO venture ― which Turki Alalshikh continues to refer as a ‘league’ rather than a promotion ― as a rival or combatative against other promotions and sanctioning bodies, it does appear to be trying to establish a monopoly be excluding them.
However, there does seem to a plan to involve The Ring ― which is currently owned by Alalshikh himself:
“For the Ring Magazine, the Ring Magazine will be in the middle,” Alalshikh continued.
“The Ring Magazine will not be involved in any of these things. This is something separate. The Ring Magazine will focus on what the Ring Magazine has been doing for the last 103 years.
“The relationship between Riyadh Season and the relationship between Ring Magazine – and the promoters – will continue for at least 1 or 2 years. This depends on their reactions and what are the options that they will give us. If it is good for us, we will do it.
“In this situation, I like what Matchroom and Eddie Hearn is doing. Eddie, is still until now, discussing with my team and with me about doing the big fights all around the world. Eddie takes the position on smart things, he decides to continue to work with us if we continue to do business with him – and this is the professional way. And we’ve had a lot of discussions with Golden Boy, to have some fighters from them on different cards.“
Essentially, the new promotion established by White and Alalshikh has plenty of work to do but has been introduced to the public as an early means to gather public support and interest before its launch ― expected to occur next year in 2026.
In the meantime, further details will surround the promotion, which despite being labelled as a ‘league’ seems to be more so promotion looking to create its own market in the sport of boxing that will likely exclude the involvement of other promotions and sanctioning bodies.
