Legendary trainer Teddy Atlas has seen how White has grown the UFC from a banned niche attraction to a major global sports league with millions of fans around the world.
And, speaking to CanadaCasino, Atlas said that if White can employ a similar approach to boxing as he did with MMA, the sport of boxing would only benefit as a result.
“In a short period of time, he has taken (MMA), and he has made it into a huge brand,” he said.
“And what was the formula for success? You didn’t have to go to MIT to figure it out – put competitive fights on. The best with the best.
“In my business, in boxing, you know one of the worst things about it? A loss is a death sentence. ‘Oh, he lost. Forget about him. Where’s the next undefeated guy?’
“What are you talking about? That loss is going to make him a better fighter. That loss is going to make him a great fighter. That loss is what he needed. You look at the UFC, you have champions that got seven, eight, nine losses. Those losses made them because you gotta lose to win.
“The UFC brand is strong. I say it again, it’s a simple formula, he gives the fans what they want, the best against the best, and you don’t get thrown to the curb, to the garbage pile, because you lost a fight. No, you fight again the following month, or three months, against a top fighter again, and that time you win because of what you learn from the loss.
“So, a guy like that. He’s got Teddy Atlas’s backing, for whatever that’s worth. He’s got my backing that he will do with boxing what he did with the UFC – make it good for the fans. He will make it good for the sport.”
Atlas also said boxing needed a big character like White to take the sport by the scruff of the neck and be a focal point of leadership, much as he’s done with the UFC.
“I think it’s great,” he said.
“A lot of people attacked me for this, but I think you need leadership. I think you sometimes need a dictator. Not a dictator that chops heads off – I’m not for that – but I mean a leader, a guy who’s in charge.
“There’s nobody in charge of our sport of boxing. There’s no unified rules. There’s no leadership. It’s like you got the five power brokers (promoters), and obviously they got a little piece of property, but nobody cares about the full property of the sport.”
