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Dana White has ruled out using any UFC platform to stage boxing matches for champions like Alex Pereira and Ilia Topuria, shutting down the latest wave of crossover talk coming from his own roster.
Dana White’s stance at UFC London
Speaking at the UFC London post‑fight press conference, White was asked if Zuffa Boxing could ever be used to promote crossover fights for Pereira or Topuria, both of whom have publicly pushed for future moves into boxing. He responded with an emphatic rejection, saying there was “no way in hell” he would oversee those bouts and calling crossover events “s**t” that do not fit the UFC’s identity.
White stressed that his focus remains on matching elite fighters against each other under MMA rules rather than booking one‑off spectacles with boxers. He added that there are “other networks and other people” who can handle crossover events, but that it is “not what I do,” signalling that even with his long‑teased Zuffa Boxing brand, he has no interest in following the model popularised by other promoters.
Alex Pereira’s long‑term boxing ambition
Pereira, the UFC light heavyweight champion and former two‑division kickboxing titleholder, has been open for months about his plan to compete in professional boxing once his MMA run ends. In a recent appearance, he said he is “definitely going to box” and stressed that he has already proved doubters wrong in kickboxing and MMA.
The Brazilian knockout artist framed a boxing campaign as a personal challenge rather than a cash grab, insisting “it’s not about aiming for more money” and that he “just want[s] to go out there and fight.” Last year he even entertained the idea of a superfight with unified heavyweight boxing champion Oleksandr Usyk, briefly fuelling speculation about a future cross‑code clash before White’s latest comments cooled that narrative.
Ilia Topuria eyeing a full switch
Topuria, the UFC lightweight champion, has given an even clearer indication that he views boxing as his next chapter after MMA. In an interview with Spanish outlet Marca, he said he has “always wanted to try [his] hand at boxing” and admitted he does not expect to stay in MMA “too long.”
The Georgian‑Spanish star explained that he wants to “finish [his] story in mixed martial arts” before making a complete transition, arguing that bouncing between MMA camps and boxing camps would not be “very professional.” Topuria highlighted the need to adapt to boxing‑specific timing, training and the ring environment, and predicted that his eventual move “is going to surprise more than a few people,” a statement now at odds with White’s refusal to facilitate any UFC‑backed crossover showcase.
White’s comments place a clear organisational line between UFC championship campaigns and the type of boxing experiments that have driven recent pay‑per‑view headlines elsewhere. While Pereira and Topuria continue to talk up long‑term plans in the ring, those ambitions will have to wait until they fulfil or exit their UFC obligations, because their promoter has made it clear he will not promote them in boxing under his own banner.
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