Reports recently emerged that UFC’s parent company Endeavor would be acquiring Top Rank, a boxing promotion. However, UFC CEO Dana White snubbed the rumors.
“Absolutely positively not true,” White wrote on social media. “We are not buying Top Rank.”
Meanwhile, Arum was contacted by boxing journalist Dan Rafael, who reported on X: “Responding to rumour circulating that @BobArum is selling @trboxing to Endeavor.
“Here’s what he texted me from Tokyo, where he’s at #InoueTapales: ‘Total crazy shit.
“I have not talked about this with anyone. We are not for sale. I have no intention to retire. Having too much fun’.”
The deal between Endeavor and Top Rank didn’t go through
Recently, Rick Glaser on Twitter/X, reported that “when you enter into these type of buy/sell agreements, you sign what’s called a “NDA” which stands for “Non-Disclosure Agreement” So for anyone that’s signed the NDA to admit there is a deal in place for Top Rank to be sold would clearly violate that DNA. That’s why all parties denied it.”
In response to the #DanaWhite & #BobArum comments about #Boxing Powerhouse #TopRank not being in the process of being sold, when you enter into these type of buy/sell agreements, you sign what's called a "NDA" which stands for "Non-Disclosure Agreement" So for anyone that's…
— Rick Glaser (@RealRickGlaser1) December 27, 2023
It is worth noting that Dana White is already involved in boxing having previously promoted the 2017 high-profile clash between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Conor McGregor.
The UFC CEO also uses UFC Fight Pass as a network for Tom Loeffler from 360 Promotions’ events. In one of the latest contests shown on UFC Fight Pass, promising Irish boxer Callum Walsh, who is undefeated beat Ismael Villarreal by unanimous decision to move his record on to 9-0.
Meanwhile, for Top Rank, they recently hosted the Undisputed Super Bantamweight bout contest between ‘The Monster’ Naoya Inoue and Marlon Tapales in Tokyo, Japan. Inoue defeated Marlon Tapales and became the Undisputed Champion for the second time.
Inoue registered the win in the 10th round and unified his WBC and WBO super-bantamweight belts with Tapales’s WBA and IBF titles in the process. Inoue has also created history by becoming the second man ever to become undisputed in two divisions, following Terence Crawford, who achieved that feat in July.