UFC chief Dana White claims plans for Floyd Mayweather fight in 2020 collapsed because ‘the world imploded’
UFC president Dana White has revealed his plans to stage a fight with Floyd Mayweather collapsed because ‘the world imploded.’
Last February, White announced he had a handshake agreement with the former four-weight world champion over a return to the ring.
But the coronavirus pandemic laid waste to his plans to promote the Money man’s latest comeback.
He told ESPN: “The world imploded after we were talking about doing some things together.”
After playing a significant role in Conor McGregor‘s multi-million-pound showdown with Mayweather in August 2017, White had hoped to make serious inroads into the boxing world.
Those plans to take Zuffa Boxing to the next level, however, have seemingly been shelved.
He added: “I’m just focused on running my business right now.”
BETTING OFFER: CLAIM RISK FREE £20 BET WITH PADDY POWER
White’s latest comments on a potential venture into boxing echo those he made late last year.
He told TSN: “Never did I say that I was doing anything.
“But I’ve been looking and kicking the tires of boxing for the last couple of years.
“The reason you’ve never seen me do anything is because that’s how screwed up and broken it is. That’s what a mess it is. Yeah, I’m not doing anything anytime soon.”
Most read in Boxing
White further aired his frustration with the state of boxing when asked about Mayweather’s upcoming exhibition fight with YouTube star Logan Paul.
He told The Nelk Boys: “When people ask me, ‘What’s the state of boxing right now?’ That’s where it’s at.
“Didn’t that kid get beat up by the (expletive) video game kid from England, and now he’s going to fight Floyd Mayweather?”
When pressed for his thoughts on the fight by TSN, the UFC chief said: “The thing has been such a spiral, nose dive for so long, and what they haven’t done, is they haven’t done got any of that young generation, any of that younger crowd.
“But it’d be crazy to say that these type of fights haven’t been popular anyway.
“We were just talking the other day about the Tonya Harding fight when she fought, these celebrity fights that they were doing. I think people are always going to be interested in that type of stuff.”
Mayweather’s showdown with Paul will take place on February 20 at a location that has yet to have been announced.