Somewhere between talking about Jai Opetaia, Tim Tszyu and pushing casino bosses to bet him $1 million hands here in Las Vegas, Dana White will ask to be brought what he simply calls ‘The Book’.
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And so immediately, Lenee Breckenridge — aka White’s longtime, and peerless, assistant — will disappear out of this sprawling office on the second floor of UFC headquarters to retrieve it.
Just as later, when White asks, another staffer will enter the room and forecast how this Saturday’s NRL showcase inside Allegiant Stadium will be tracking for tickets, gate takings, everything.
Which is something we’d love to share.
Same deal the incredible hype reel that, within days, will also be released to promote White’s UFC Baddest Motherf***er showcase set for Saturday week here in Las Vegas between Max Holloway and Charles Oliveira.
Although for that one, White simply calls up said clip on his iPhone.
Showing off what we’ll simply call 90 seconds of chaos, both for eyes and ears, while goosebumps, quite clearly, start popping on his forearms.
“You can see ‘em,” he grins.
And all of this after the new Zuffa boxing boss also unveils his plans for Opetaia, hints at a Hall of Famer’s son challenging Tim or Nikita Tszyu, and has eyes on more Aussie fighters for his new Zuffa Boxing roster.
Initially see, our interviews was supposed to be 15 minutes of boxing chat.
That, and a little something about the NRL Las Vegas opener.
An event White isn’t only a chance of now attending Saturday here in Las Vegas, but has also offered to help solidify as an annual event in town, much like his own International Fight Week extravaganzas.
But at some point, well, he went and asked for ‘The Book’.
Which is now sat on a coffee table before us. Unmistakably American too, thanks to the UFC’s signature red logo popping hard off a dark blue background
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UFC boss Dana White’s shock Vegas reveal… and bold Donald Trump plea to NRL
Only days earlier, White says, this same tome sat in the hands of President Donald Trump.
“And nobody else has seen it,” he insists, kicking back now in an office lounge.
“Nobody outside President Trump, his people, and my own very limited team. You’re the first one …”
And with that, this greatest of fight promoters then starts leafing through those wide, landscaped pages which — in what is actually more binder than book – shows detailed renderings for what may just be the most anticipated event in combat sports history.
Yep, the impending White House card that will be available as a pay-per-view on Kayo Sports.
And so slowly, as the pages start turning in White’s hands, there coming to life before you is an Octagon on the White House lawn, a fighter walking the Oval Office corridor, even those 85,000 fans watching from on from a neighbouring park.
“Yeah, The Ellipse,” White says, showing off several renderings. “The activations, the screens … it’s going to be f***ing incredible.”
Forget too, whispers of a UFC press conference at the Lincoln Memorial.
It’s happening.
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We’ve seen it.
“F***ing sick, right?” White continues, looking with you over plans for the press event, before then turning on to show an AI generated fighter walking down that Oval Office corridor, flanked by four officials.
Then again, with another turn, you’re now looking down an arena which, engulfed by red, white and blue, includes a section of arena seating where, around the top, is another 1500 Standing Room Only spots.
“You can even see where we’ve set up the President’s marching band,” White notes, pointing them out too.
Already, there has been reports of this impending June event costing upwards of $60 million, or more than three times even the UFC’s 2024 showcase at The Sphere.
To which White says what?
“Compared to the White House card,” he grins, “our Sphere show is a fingerpainting”.
And all this before we even get to the boxing revelations …
JAI OPETAIA
Only months into his new life as Zuffa Boxing boss, White is already making plenty of noise thanks to signing the likes of Australia’s IBF cruiserweight champ Opetaia and UK superstar Conor Benn.
Despite having only teamed up with the big punching Aussie southpaw in January, White confirmed Opetaia a chance of headlining at home this year, while also saying a megafight with America’s David Benavidez: “Abso-f***ing-lutely … that fight will happen”.
While White was more cautious when asked about Opetaia’s desire to unify the division – especially given his obvious preference for those new Zuffa straps – he promised to work with the 30-year-old Central Coast star.
Asked his reasons for signing Opetaia, White said: “Well, let’s start with Jai Opetaia being not only the world’s the best cruiserweight, but among the best fighters on the planet.
“And one of the best pound for pound.
“And with anything I get involved with, UFC, boxing, Powerslap, whatever, I want the best.”
White also stressed he could not yet confirm if Opetaia would be defending the IBF strap in his upcoming fight against America’s Brandon Glanton – which is being billed as for the Zuffa and Ring straps – while saying of the Aussie’s unification quest, “I don’t know how that is all going to play out”.
“Obviously, I have a vision for Zuffa Boxing and where I want it to be in the next couple of years,” he said. “But also with these kids coming over, I want them to accomplish everything they want to with their careers.
“It’s all a work in progress.”
Elsewhere, White also confirmed whispers about Opetaia potentially fighting in Australia later this year, before stressing “let’s just get through this fight first and we’ll figure all that out”.
“And while I haven’t talked to him about this yet,” White continued, “obviously I can see Jai fighting at heavyweight. The guy has a 90 per cent knockout rate, so he’s obviously got the power.”
TIM TSZYU
Apart from having huge plans for Opetaia, White also revealed he has this week signed the son of American Hall of Famer ‘Sugar’ Shane Mosley — and is interested in having him throw down against a son of Kostya Tszyu.
Asked if he was aware of fighting brothers Tim and Nikita Tszyu, White replied: “I know them, yeah. And only yesterday we signed Shane Mosely Jnr … (grinning) so you just never know.”
Quizzed on signing more Australians to Zuffa, White continued: “Yeah, we will be.
“Because initially with the UFC, we had one guy down there, Elvis Sinosic, that was it.
“But now when you look at the talent coming out of that region, guys who have been world champions, top 10 … Alexander Volkansovski is the greatest ever in his division and one of the greatest of all time.
“So having both Volk and Jai Opetaia, it’s f***ing crazy. There is so much f***ing talent there.”
WHITE HOUSE CARD
Slated for June 14 here in the United States – which doubles as President Trump’s 80th birthday – the UFC White House card is a set to be an event so momentous, White says, those who compete “will never be forgotten”.
Already, names being linked to the showcase include the likes of Conor McGregor, Jon Jones and Alex Pereira.
All of which will undeniably bring even more colour again to those renderings presented to Trump only last week.
On the arena specifically, White points out the special ‘Standing Room Only’ section, the huge military presence, the nine metre LED screen, and even notes how all the usual light fixtures from over the Octagon have been changed up.
“Because I told our guys ‘I don’t want to see one f***ing light’,” he said. “All I want in that background is the White House.
“So right now, we’ve got a specially-designed lighting grid being built in Philadelphia. We’ll then have it trucked to Washington DC.”
Elsewhere, White explained how two upstairs rooms at the White House will act as dressing rooms, while he and Trump will share a green room. He added the main eventers will walk from the Oval Office, while the estimated Ellipse party for 85,000 will be ticketed … “and those tickets will be free”.
White also stressed “the US taxpayer isn’t paying a penny for this, the entire cost falls on us”.
Only recently, the promoter revealed planning is so detailed for the White House card, he and his team already know where the sun will be throughout the entire event.
“And, of course, there were some f***ing idiots online saying ‘oh, good we’ll know where the sun is’,” White shrugged.
“But we are literally projecting where the sun will hit every 15 minutes. Same as three weeks out we’ll know what the weather is going to be.”
So as for exactly what that fella who saw ‘The Book’ before us thought?
“Oh, he was blown away,” White said of Trump. “Didn’t want to change a thing.
“He and Craig Borsari, my head of production, went back and forth on a lot of different stuff, but he absolutely loves it.”
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EDDIE HEARN
Only days after stealing Conor Benn from English promoter Eddie Hearn, White has again taken aim at the “f***ing lunatic” Matchroom boss over his previous handling of another old client, Opetaia.
“I heard Eddie Hearn say recently ‘Jai couldn’t make me money’,” White said, incredulous.
“But you know what Jai’s job is? It’s to be a bad motherf***er.
“That’s his job.
“And you know what your job is Eddie Hearn? Your job is to make him money, while also making you money. That’s your job.
“And while I don’t dislike Eddie, I’ve been absolutely blown away by the way he’s acting.
“It’s almost like he’s losing his mind.
“He’s been going on like a f***ing lunatic.
“And when we finish up here, go look up Hearn’s interviews from a month ago.
“Back when he was saying things like ‘I’m so excited Dana is getting into boxing, I look forward to competing with him … there’s a lot of stuff he doesn’t know about this business and he’s going to learn the hard way’.
“OK, so back then he was excited to compete with me. But he doesn’t seem as excited now as he was a month ago.”
Soon after, White continued: “If Eddie Hearn couldn’t make Jai Opetaia a star in Australia, I don’t know what to say.
“And, again, I wasn’t going to mess with Eddie. We were cool.
“But then, uncharacteristically, he started talking so much s***.
“Eventually it got to the point where I said ‘OK, we’re going to fight, so let’s fight … and now here we are’.”
DONALD TRUMP
While talking through all things White House card, we ask the UFC boss how a fella manages to build enough respect with the American president, and enough trust, to have him host your sporting franchise in the world’s most famous front yard?
“Hmmm, great question,” White says, before taking a short pause.
“What I can tell you is that the president and I, we have a friendship that isn’t transactional.
“Before he ran for president, I didn’t want anything but his friendship.
“And after he ran for president, his whole first term, nothing.
“Because I’m not looking for anything from him and he’s not looking for anything from me. We’re friends.”
Asked if such relationships become harder to find when you’re reportedly worth $700M, White grins and replies: “Good point.
“And it is true.,
“But he’s always just been a UFC fan. Honestly, the president watches all our f***ing fights.
“As soon as I got there over there last week to see him, our first 10 minutes together were spent talking about the fights from the weekend before.
“(Laughs) Even Don Jnr has told me ‘you’re the only person I’ve ever seen my dad bro out with’.”
Asked for his favourite Trump moment, and White says it has to be those nights where he’s walked into sold out UFC arenas with the president.
“Because when he walks out,” the promoter says, “our fans goes bats*** nuts.
“In all my years doing this – and it’s actually 25 years yesterday – I’ve never seen anything else like Trump walking into a building.
“Doesn’t matter if it’s New York, Florida, Las Vegas … we could go to Portland, Oregan and he’ll get that reaction.
“And I don’t know how much you know about everything he’s gone through, like the assassination attempt, or people trying to run him through court, put him in jail, searching his house, doing all this crazy s*** to him.
“But I feel like every time s*** got piled on him most, he would come to a UFC event. Just have one of those moments where it’s ‘OK, the whole world doesn’t hate me’.
“The UFC has always been that place for him.”
Asked, finally, for the one trait he and Trump want every White House fighter to share for this greatest of impending cards, and the UFC boss instead offers up what they will have in common afterwards.
“For the rest of your life, no matter what you do, you will never forget that night,” he says.
“And you will never be forgotten.
“The UFC White House event will be talked about for years after we’re all gone.
“And I’ll make sure of that.
“As far as bells and whistles go, this will be the greatest event anyone has ever seen. Then as usual, we’ll pass the baton on to our fighters to deliver.”