Simon Jordan believes Boxing could fall behind UFC as the most popular combat sport after yet another big fight collapsed.
Boxing fans were left exasperated on Wednesday when Tyson Fury’s much-anticipated heavyweight undisputed clash with Oleksandr Usyk fell through.
The boxers and their representatives have been engaged in intense negotiations since the start of the year, but ultimately no final agreement was reached.
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UFC president Dana White, who is a big boxing fan, was recently asked about the protracted fight talks between Fury and Usyk.
“Welcome to boxing, boys," he said post-fight at UFC 286.
"Is it shocking? Yes. Is it ‘shocking?’ No. It’s just that is boxing, that’s the way that that sport always seems to play out, the big fights that should happen never happen.
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“And when they do, it’s always late and that’s the stuff that used to drive me crazy as a fan, and it’s literally part of how I designed this company [UFC] to not be. We try to make the big fights when it’s time to make the big fights."
TalkSPORT host Simon Jordan has expressed his dislike for UFC in the past, but even he admitted that he sees plenty of disillusioned boxing fans ditching the sport for UFC
"I find that the more I look at it, despite my absolute enthusiasm for the sport, the more I find boxing quite an unpalatable space of disingenuity and people who say they are going to do something and never seem to do it," he told Jim White on talkSPORT.
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"I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like it. I know it’s show business. I know that all the moving parts are difficult to put together but there’s such an underserving sport because these guys are getting paid an inordinate amount of money, they are living on currency, which most of the time is talk.
"Most of the time they don’t tell the truth and when you confront them with not telling the truth they blabber or try to [bulls***] you around it. And now you’ve got fights that can’t be made.
"It is wrong and what you’ll start seeing is spaces for sports like UFC and MMA taking the mantle because people are going to say, ‘Well, at least I know where I stand with that sport.'
"You’re going to see people like Dana White turn around and say, ‘I’ll tell you what I’ll do, I’ll get involved with boxing because these guys are clowns.'"
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Jordan has got a point - there is surely only so much prevaricating and messing around boxing fans will put up with before they look elsewhere for their kicks (or punches).
Topics: Boxing, UFC, Dana White, Tyson Fury, Oleksandr Usyk
Alex Brotherton