Bob Arum responds to Dana White’s comments about UFC promoting boxing

Earlier this week, on The Unnamed Podvideocast, UFC President Dana White admitted that he can potentially see the UFC promoting boxing matches in the future.

“I could see bringing boxing under our umbrella and trying to see what we could do with that,” White said (h/t Sherdog.com). “I could see doing that.”

Now, White’s comments have reached the ears of Top Rank CEO Bob Arum. In a rather unsurprising twist, Arum crapped all over White’s boxing ambition, criticizing the UFC and suggesting the organization is growing “desperate.”

“My thoughts are that UFC is desperate,” Arum told NY Fights. :Their numbers are way off, they have no marquee star. Look at their PPV numbers. They barely break 100,000 homes on their shows. They’re having trouble getting renewal on their contract with FOX. They have to do something. One of things they may try and fall back on and try and acquire a boxing presence. About a year ago, I was approached by someone repping UFC, they wanted to buy Top Rank.”

Arum also trashed White and his cohorts for their greed, suggesting the UFC business model is all about putting money in the pockets of its executives, not its fighters.

“You have to understand, UFC is a monopoly, the money they earn on a fight because they pay their athletes 20 percent of the gross, we pay around 80 percent, what they say they’re investing back in the business, they’re investing in themselves, they put money in their pockets!” Arum said. “That’s not investing in anything.In boxing, there are a large number of promoters, and when a  promoter has a successful event and there’s a profit he earns, he puts it back in the company. What the fuck is White talking about? White is speaking from desperation now, he’s the spokesperson for what could be a failing business!”

What do you think of Bob Arum’s comments on Dana White?

This article first appeared on BJPenn.com on 10/26/2017.