Dana White Conversation With Dan Rafael 9 11 26 | Fight Freaks Unite Podcast

0:00This is Hota Copy from Joy 101 with Hota Copy. Okay. Have you ever showed up late to the game and your friends already saved you a seat, your drink, even a plate? That's looking out. That's having your back and that's exactly what AT&T does with the AT&T guarantee. They know staying connected matters. So they actually guarantee a network that comes through when it counts. AT&T has connectivity you can depend on or they'll proactively make it right. Just like that friend who takes care of things before you even ask. AT&T connecting changes everything. Terms and conditions apply. Visit AT&T.com slash guarantee for details. I like things my way, my coffee, my schedule and my treatment. So I talked to my doctor about self-injecting with the VivGuard Hydrilo-Pre-Filled Surrange, which contains F-Guard Tegamon Alpha and Hyaluronidase QVFC. It's injected under your skin subcutaneously. It means I can inject in my space on my time.

1:01It's my treatment my way. Visit VivGuardMyWay.com. That's v-y-v-g-a-r-t-myway.com and talk to your doctor about VivGuard Hydrilo. Brought to you by Argenics. Waiting for your sign? Here it is. Shop Labor Day appliance deals at Lowe's before they're gone. Get up to 45% off, select major appliances. Plus get free delivery, hollow-way, installation and parts and a two-year Lowe's protection plan on purchases of $999 or more. Labor Day deals are on now at Lowe's, in-store and online. Vellate to 960, while supplies last. Selection various Vellocations. C-Lowe's.com for more details. Well, it is my distinct pleasure. Welcome to the podcast. This week it is done other than the Zouple Boxing Boss Man. Dana White, Dana. You are promoting your first major fight in terms of Paramount Plus and Boxing. It's on Saturday night. We love the WBC Welterweight Championship fight between the champion Ryan Garcia. He is making his first offense against Conor Ben,

2:03live on Paramount Plus. Not pay-per-view, I'll say. At the team mobile arena in Las Vegas. Welcome to the show. Thank you very much for doing this, Dana. Appreciate it. Thanks for having me. All right, let's get into this. You are nine months into Zouple Boxing, actively promoting cards. You did, of course, the Canelo Crawford one. But that was right before the Paramount stuff started. And I've heard your press conferences numerous times after your Paramount Plus events saying, judge us after one year. We're now three quarters of the year through. So I can reserve judgment for the year. But I'd like to hear just your brief assessment so far of the product. Yeah, listen, I'm really happy where we're at. I think that I am two years ahead of where I thought I would be, you know, this far into it. And it's actually been fun for me. Do it does when I would talk to boxing guys. And I would say, what the hell am I doing? Am I out of my mind? Why am I even considering this? But I'm actually having a blast. So it's, and I'm looking forward to this weekend.

3:04You know, I love things like I will be in Arizona for no JUFC for a sold out event. Then I will jump on the plane and fly to Las Vegas for my sold out boxing event. You know, two fights the same night. And Parama plus is so good. Like you said, no pay for view. You go right from USC, no channel Parama plus right into the boxing event. You only have that to change the channel. You mentioned how much fun you're having now with your boxing endeavors. Which is more fun for you. Is it boxing? Because it's still kind of newish in terms of the promotional game. Or is it so UFC, which I guess is, you know, that's been the cornerstone of your career for so many years. Yeah, well, it's all fun. Obviously, there's a lot of things that I need to focus on and build and do with the sport of boxing. Yet, you know, while still trying to figure out, you know, how do I continue to break records and do the things that I do with the UFC? I love the challenge of all of it in different ways.

4:06Let us talk a little bit about the fight you have in front of you. Tremendous matchup between Garcy and Ben. Easily your biggest fight so far in terms of the Parama plus deal. Can you just give me your brief thoughts on the matchup and getting to the point now where Zufa has a genuinely big fight. I mean, you've done obviously a bunch of cards. You've had some tremendous fights. Maybe some that haven't been the greatest. But this is certainly profile wise easily. The biggest one. And like we were talking about before in terms of non-paper view. Certainly if it wasn't on Parama plus would have been absolutely a pay-per-view. Yeah, I mean, Jaiopataya is the domain of it. You know what I mean? It's a great card and I was telling Ryan Garcia the other day. That you know when we put the commercial up on Parama plus it did 17.7 million views in a week. So there's tons of buzz and hype and energy around this fight. I love the fact that you know the domain and main events. We get the showcase all four of these great fighters. And then this is one of those cards that I've been talking about

5:08for years like what we do with UFC from the first fight of the night. You know all the matchmaking is great. Every fight means something. Every guy is. Is someone. Yeah, I'll give you that. I mean you do you do have an excellent under guard. We'll get to the Opa Taya fight of course. But you also have guys like Magsayo and you know it's been an exciting fighter for a long time in a former world champion. So yeah, you definitely have some other stuff. Let's say as you say to to to check out. But in terms of the the main event with with Ryan against Connor Ben. You were saying about how you know you had all those views for for that commercial. I wonder from the business side of things. What would what would be considered a success for Zufan or Paramount Plus in terms of the number of people that tune in or that subscribe because of this fight. We're all going to be asking about the numbers come Monday. You know that. Yeah, you're looking for subs and obviously viewers.

6:08And you know I don't focus on that as much as what we want to do is put on the best fight. So you could possibly put on what I want to do is build the trust with the boxing fans that I have with the UFC universe. Right. I can put a card on sale and tickets will start to sell before you people even know who the main event is because they know I'm going to deliver. That's what the confidence that I want to build with the boxing fans including you know. Not just the people who stay home on a Saturday night and and waste the Saturday night on an event but the people who fly there by tickets. I want them to have an incredible experience. At a live boxing event because I went to one a few years ago. I can tell you this it was not a good experience and my fun. It was his first time going to like get down everyone come to one of these again. Hopefully hopefully you can get people to change that viewpoint for sure.

7:11When you when you are so heavily involved like you said promoting trying to get the buzz out there. Get the hype out there. Do a great job for your partner and paramount plus and bring eyeballs to their platform and subscriptions to their platform. And then you show up in Las Vegas for the beginning of fight week and the star of the show Ryan Garcia the champion going into this fight the guy with. You know the certainly more well known in America than Connor Ben. Skips the big photo op first photo op of the week on Tuesday supposedly having trouble with his weight. He was in the gym. I am told Connor Ben showed up and took pictures and all that where was it a little disappointing that that your star of the show didn't show up for the first photo off for this big fight week. Well he's been good as far as letting us get content and other things. I mean this is the business for him. We're dealing with lots of different personalities and you know it's no different than things we dealt with. What do you see too? Hey sports fans Dennis Robyn here talking about my boys at bet us calm my only sportsbook in casino.

8:13His big time baby get rewards same game parles live in game betting and a 200% welcome bonus up to 3000 bucks. Play hard and live large this is the industry's largest bonus plus even poor 200% casino welcome bonus. I played really fast you want to bet fast and get paid fast you can bet us takes crypto join me today at bet us calm tell him Dennis Robyn sent you. Hey it's Kelly Rowland you may not know this but I have Xima so I get how it can still your time but why let Xima take over when you can talk to your doctor about Epglis. Epglis lubricism ab LBKZ a 250 milligram per 2 milliliter injection is a prescription medicine used to treat adults and children 12 years of age and older who weigh at least 88 pounds or 40 kilograms with moderate to severe Xima. Also called a topic dermatitis that is not well controlled with prescription therapies used on the skin or topicals or who cannot use topical therapies. Epglis can be used with or without topical corticosteroids. Don't use if you are allergic to Epglis allergic reactions can occur that can be severe.

9:16I problems can occur tell your doctor if you have newer worsening eye problems you should not receive a live vaccine when treated with Epglis before starting Epglis tell your doctor if you have a parasitic infection. Pay partnership with Lily respect your time ask your doctor about Epglis and visit Epglis.com or call 1-800-LilyRX or 1-800-545-59-79. Hey sports fans Dennis Robyn here talking about my boys at betus.com my only sports book in casino. It's big time baby get rewards same game parlay's live in game betting and a 200% welcome bonus up to 3000 bucks play hard and live large. This is the industry's largest bonus plus even pull a 200% casino welcome bonus. I played really fast you want to bet fast and get paid fast you can bet us takes crypto join me today at betus.com Tell them Dennis Robyn sent you and in terms of I believe I know that I was only think of the standpoint that in terms of your boxing endeavors your first big one for Paramount plus and it's sort of kind of what I would think would be disappointing that the top guy didn't show up for the first face off that's all.

10:25Yeah no these guys have been good you know no promotion leading up to it is ever going to go absolutely perfect but these guys have been great. The pre numbers we're seeing you know just off the commercial alone have obviously been good Paramount is happy and excited so we're good. Dana talk to me a little bit about your your because you don't you're not the promoter of Ryan Garcia obviously you are for this particular fight but the guy that you sign that Zufa targeted and went after was Connor Ben you got him for the one fight against Regis program that took place in April. Paid him more money than any undercard fighter ever been paid in the history of boxing was a one fight they'll you follow it up you signed to a longer term extension. What was it that you and your team saw him that decided let's make him you know the guy we're going to sign and we're going to obviously spend a lot of resources and and time on. Well obviously you know me and my matchmakers think he's a talented kid and he's an absolute professional man that this kid is one of the greatest athletes I've ever worked with a mind-tie career.

11:34You know I look for guys that you know you can't you're not not to not miss you can't you know predict whether they're going to win all their fights that's always something that you sort of you're sort of rolling the dice on. But I like guys that you can build a business around and he is a guy you can build a business with and I would think that's also key because you have such important events that you're supposed to do in the UK as well. Yeah well not just you know paramount not just the UK but the rest of the world fighting is a global business and you know this was unheard of back in the day but I'm trying to think of what it was I just put on a fight think about this right now with your boxing knowledge and all your history and boxing I just did a fight in filly with a Muslim Russian and an Irish kid. Okay. That's the main event. You'll be out broke the records all the shit. That's a US that's a USC fight right that was a USC fight. Right right yeah right. So now in boxing if you had a guy you you'd have to fight in Vegas or Atlantic City if you had a Puerto Rican you could go to New York if you had a Mexican you could do LA you know you have to be very specific where you went based on who was the main event.

12:55I can make a event anybody anywhere and and and and and the thing not only sells out the bricks you read a record. With regard to the fight week that you have there's been I know a lot of discussion over the last you know months pretty much since you started everything with this there's the constant back and forth data between yourself and the Golden Boy promoter Oscar De La Jue was at least for the moment Ryan Garcia's promoter. Have you had any contact with them directly to the fight and do you think you will during the course of the rest of the week is he going to be there with the at the press conference or on the stage with you at the weigh in and how's that going to go if he is. I've had zero zero interaction with him have a seat and talk to him and you know I really haven't had any back and forth with him or any hurt I mean realistically I'm you boy you got hold on hold on you you talk shit about them and they talk shit about you. You talk shit about them. Yeah I mean there's a lot more talking on their side than there is my side.

13:57Okay fair point are let's talk about your co feature because I was another fight that you brought up between Jio Pataya who is the linear champion he had been the I.B.F. champion he has now your Zufa belt he is defending or I guess he's defending the Zufa belt but taken on the guy who was currently the WBC champion which is no one McAllian. Good quality matchup it seems to me tell me a little bit about what happened with Don King he sent you guys a cease and desist letter he is the promoter of McAllian so he says obviously you're not you're kind of ignoring that you're going forward with the fight. I assume you know you're on you believe you're on strong legal ground to do the fight but what was your take on the 95 year old still the tiges Don King trying to stop that fight literally the week of the fight. Yeah I mean obviously he's known about this fight for a long time sending a cease and desist days before the fight and I liked on and if you look at my 25 years of being in the fight business I've never gone after a fighter that was a fight.

14:57That we didn't have the rights to go after never try to interfere with somebody else's contract or do any of that type of stuff. You know in a sport guys are going to pop up and become free agents guys are going to have opportunities and you know we will do everything within the legal right to put on fight so I'm not going to go out and try to screw people over. Steal people when when guys become free agents. I'll be in there. So there was never any particular idea like oh my goodness we got this letter we might have to cancel this fight. No never. Okay fair point there. The main event is a WBC World Title fight. You are going to do Jai's I B F cruiserweight World Title fight before he was stripped before the defense that was like the day before. Certainly that was not a Zufa issue that was an I B F issue apparently. A couple weeks ago you went to Ireland and you had the I B F middleweight title fight in which Aaron McKenna your fighter won in his own country of Ireland.

15:59But back when you first started all this and you guys went out and did a ton you went out and did a ton of publicity we spoke on this same podcast and you talked about how you didn't want to work with the other organizations. Your your tenor was you like to put them out of business if you could. But here we are nine months later and you've done now you know various title fights with those organizations and this this one is also of course with the WBC. So I mean which is it are you are you going to are you willing now to work with these organizations even if you don't love it and you don't necessarily like put the WBC on the on the promo material or name the I B F. But you're still doing business with them even if not actively promoting their belts can you sort of explain the change it seems in the positioning of your views on doing title fights. Well I don't think anything changed my philosophy is this as we come into this sport or once into it months you know you you have these kids who have either titles or lined up for titles or have dreamt of holding a title someday.

16:59And you know I'm willing to figure stuff out if they're willing to figure stuff out they're not going to come in and just tell us what we're going to do and what we're not going to do and you know this guy is a mandatory and this guy is it you know it's not going to work that way. If everybody wants to play nice and we all want to work together and if the fighter wants it right which is the most important thing to me what does the fighter want. I felt like when you first started off it was and I'm glad to hear that but when you started off you seem a little more because maybe you just hadn't gotten into it yet it seemed a little bit more like confrontation like you know I was going to do either I didn't walk right everybody was like oh I thought he was just doing small fights and I thought he was doing this and I thought he was doing that you know we didn't tell anybody what we were doing we came in and we just started building our business and and however that works you know it's all right. It's all the work and progress.

18:24It's all in Jeep country and during the driving to fall sales event get a great deal on four by fours that refuse to be contained like Jeep Wrangler confidence built into every drive with the most awarded SUV ever Jeep Grand Cherokee and freedom that can't be denied with the open air freedom and Jeep gladiator after 85 years it's no surprise that Jeep became America's SUV brand get a great deal during the Jeep driving to fall sales event Jeep is one more awards over its lifetime than any other SUV brand Jeep and the Jeep Grill Registered trademarks of FCA US LLC.

19:24Now part of that I think you tell me if I'm wrong that you were obviously you guys have been trying to get done the the legislation that will adopt the Ali Revival Act it has been passed by the United States House of Representatives it is still hung up in the Senate where you've had there's been hearings Nikon testified on you know your company's be a it's still still stuck in the committee in the Senate I don't know when and if it's going to come up for vote obviously if they pass it and it becomes the law that's going to be a great deal. That probably will change the way you do some things because it will make your Zufa belt in your UBO lawful. Can you do you have any update on the schedule for when that may go through the Senate process to try to for them they try to bring it through the committee to the House floor or is it just sort of up in the air. Yeah I sit right here right now I don't know the answer to that but yeah everything you said is correct and that's what we're working to do. Is that is it am I incorrect to say that at least in some way in peeding the the speed by which you like to do the things you've talked about doing with the UBO.

20:31No no no no not at all I mean if that was done right now we'd still be working the way that we're working now. So you envision a future then where you'll if you that the UBO becomes lawful and you operate in that manner sort of the you know on the same sort of setup you have with UFC but you would still depending on what the fighters want to do and what what opportunities are available. Similar to what you're doing on Saturday with a WBC title fight here or there or an I BF title fight you didn't Ireland that sort of thing. Correct I mean you know and you know do these guys want to work with us that they want to you know are they going to be easy to work with are they going to be difficult. Either way it goes it doesn't matter to me. How has it been then let's say for this week with the WBC as an example so far so good. There then all right if you don't mind I'd like to ask you about just a couple other brief topics if you have a minute about that. Yeah you can't go anywhere and watch a Dana White a video clip without him being asked about Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua.

21:33So I just want to just briefly touch on that Eddie Herndt says that their contract at least on the her and Joshua side says that Zufa cannot be involved in the fight. You're of course on record talking about how you were involved in the site deal as well as in the deal for the Netflix situation. What's what's the disconnect there that I'm missing. Well it's a really weird thing man I don't know if I've ever seen a guy who was supposed to be the promoter of a fight. Part of fight more than this guy has it's it's it's fascinating to watch but. But I get it and listen we've all learned a lot about Eddie Herndt of last several months. I mean Frank Warren. Frank Warren is like a real guy you know the more I see it because Frank Warren I don't really know each other. We've met a met his son but you know Frank Warner is a real guy. It's been an interesting you know interesting seven eight months whatever it's been but we'll see how the thing plays out.

22:38He used the example in Eddie's comments that it would be like Zufa promoting Joshua and Fury would be like if he went and said to you guys I'd like to be involved in promoting WrestleMania meaning you know the your sister company the WWE. Do you sort of understand where he comes from on that standpoint. Listen there's a lot of things that I know that the public doesn't know and tell us. You don't have to be a rocket scientist to know that Eddie Herndt is full of shit. Okay. I don't know if I've ever seen a guy more full of fucking shit than this guy is and I don't know what we'll see up later. Can you give me an example? This fight has to be in England for the English fans and all this stuff. How many times did they have to be Joshua fought in South? That's a fair point but I think when they made this fight they claim they signed a contract and said to UK so okay I'll take them at the word if they say that's the case.

23:40I don't even think anybody's really disputed that so they're just that I'm not defending them. I'm just playing the doubles out of it. They say okay if you want to change that then you have to you know pay the piper I guess and so it needs to be worth our while to make the switch. I think they would like to deliver their country's biggest fight to their fans. It seems logical. I don't disagree with that. I don't disagree with that at all. So then just squash the fight and start over. Go do the fight in England and you know deal with his own and do it in Wembley or wherever you want to do it. In other words not with Netflix not of the garden. I mean it seems like a heavy lift right there. Well they didn't do the network that that's like the garden deal. Understood. Although I mean it's not not to be disrespectful in any way Dana you know as well as I do it. Eddie Herring could have walked into the garden done a deal with them in two seconds also. He's done plenty of business with them through the years. He's had fights in the main arena. He's had fights in the theater. Then do it.

24:40There. You think the largest and I'll end this topic. Do you think the fight will actually take place since you're obviously involved in some capacity? Let me ask you a question. Let me ask you a question and from what you haven't covered the sport a lot. Any of that but from what you think you know of me. Do you think that I would fucking you know be like oh my god. They said that they fuck oh we've got to I would fucking wipe everything out. And I would start over and I would do the whole fucking thing myself. It's fall in America. Make it count at the Ram Drive into Fall sales event. Make it powerful with our strongest Ram 1500 ever. Make it move with the Ram heavy duty with an available Cummins diesel. And make it go the distance with a 10 year or 100,000 mile powertrain limited warranty. Now for great deals during the Ram Drive into Fall sales event. Excludes fully electric vehicles applied to 2026 model year vehicles non transferable. Visit moapart.com for complete details on a copy of the powertrain limited warranty. Come into the registered trademark of Cummins Inc. Ram and Hemi are registered trademarks of FCA US LLC. Day or night.

25:41Verbo care is here 24 seven to help make every part of your stay seamless. If anything comes up or you simply need a little guidance. Support is ready whenever you reach out. From the moment you book to the moment you had home, we're here to help things run smoothly. Because a great trip starts with the right support. And hey, a good playlist doesn't hurt either. Show button here. Football season is finally back. And prize picks is bringing out their best offer yet. New users who sign up will get $150 in lineups. If you win your first $5 lineup, that's right. If you win your first $5 lineup, you'll get $150 in lineups. On prize picks, you simply pick two to six players, pick more or less on their staff projections and submit your lineup. Then sweat it out as you watch your picks play out live. It's the best way to get more locked in on game day. Make all the picks you want. This football season, all in the same app.

26:42Also, prize picks is going crazy with the deals to start the football season. Giving users a new promo every day during stack September. And now, prize picks is available nationwide. So what are you waiting for? Lock in for kickoff. Because everyone and everything is on prize picks. What you want? Download the app today and use Co-Ad large to get $150 in lineups. If you win your first $5 lineup, prize picks, run your game. You know, I do not think that you just talk out your ass about how you're involved in the fight. I don't think you would want to be embarrassed if you won't. What do you think that I would sit around and line and cry and do 850,000 interviews about why it needs to be get in there? You're the fucking, apparently, the big promoter. You're, you know, whatever, you're just said any hurt and walking anywhere and do anything. Well, I was talking about the guy I meant I said the garden. Okay. Well, hopefully, or garden or one player cut a TV deal or then do it.

27:43What? Do you think the fight happens? That's the bottom line. Under the current situation and timeframe. I do think the fight happens, yes. I'm glad you're there. All right. Let's just move on. You recently signed Shakur Stevenson. He's one of the best fighters in the world. He's the Junior World-of-Wheel Champion. My question for you is when are we going to see him in his first fight with Zufa Boxing? And who can you match him with because you talk about one and have the greatest fighters? When I say soon, we'll announce the fight soon. Do you have something already lined up that you're just not saying yet? We're working on it now. Yeah, we're working on it. I look at you, guys. I'm excited. I'm obviously excited, you know, to have him and to get a fight lined up and promoters first fight. I'm very excited about it. I don't blame you for that. I look at your roster, though, and I look in the landscape of his division, 140 or even 147, which I don't think he's necessarily ready to go to yet.

28:44At least not. At least he says he's not going all the way up to that weight limit just yet. Who do you even have that you could match him with? He says he doesn't want to fight Jose Ryo Valenzuela. Judge me at the end of the year. Not what we do this year. Okay, there we go again. All right. Just one more quick one for you. There's a lot of rumors that you're a man, your man, Richard's in Hitchons. You've recently signed also that you're in the process, perhaps, of trying to make a deal for him to fight Keeshan Davis, who decided not to do a title fight because he was unhappy with the way the purse bid worked out. Is that accurate? Is that the type of fight that you're looking to do? I've heard if it happens and in fact, Joshua and Fury were to take place here in the United States. Could find its way onto that undercard. What can you say about that particular situation? Nothing yet. Listen, I don't like talking about things that I don't have done. That's fair. Because then what happens is you and I have a conversation on a podcast, your podcast drops and everything is taken out of context.

29:46It will have been stiff and, you know, it ends up just growing things up. When I get things done, I announce them and then we move forward. Well, Connor Ben, challenging Ryan Garcia is announced. It is this Saturday on Paramount Plus. It's going to be, I think it's going to be a good fight. I hope it is a good fight. Dana, I appreciate your time and wish you great success with your help. That's true. Also another excellent fight. Dana, thank you very much. I appreciate it. Thanks for having me. Show button here. Football season is finally back. And prize picks is bringing out their best offer yet. New users who sign up will get $150 in lineups if you win your first $5 lineup. That's right. If you win your first $5 lineup, you'll get $150 in lineups. On prize picks, you simply pick two to six players, pick more or less on their staff projections and submit your lineup. Then, sweat it out as you watch your picks play out live. It's the best way to get more locked in on game day. Make all the picks you want.

30:48This football season, all in the same app. Also, prize picks is going crazy with the deals to start the football season. Giving users a new promo every day during stack September. And now, prize picks is available nationwide. So what are you waiting for? Lock in for kickoff because everyone and everything is on prize picks. What you want? Download the app today and use code at large to get $150 in lineups if you win your first $5 lineup. Prize picks, run your game. Show button here. Football season is finally back. And prize picks is bringing out their best offer yet.

31:54New users who sign up will get $150 in lineups if you win your first $5 lineup. That's right. If you win your first $5 lineup, you'll get $150 in lineups. On prize picks, you simply pick two to six players, pick more or less on their staff projections and submit your lineup. Then, sweat it out as you watch your picks play out live. It's the best way to get more locked in on game day. Make all the picks you want. This football season, all in the same app. Also, prize picks is going crazy with the deals to start the football season. Giving users a new promo every day during stack September. And now, prize picks is available nationwide. So what are you waiting for? Lock in for kickoff because everyone and everything is on prize picks. What you want? Download the app today and use Co-Add Large to get $150 instantly in lineups if you win your first $5 lineup. Prize picks, run your game.