Dana White Reacts Jubilantly To Rumored Showtime Boxing Dissolution
Dana White is clearly not a fan of Stephen Espinoza and has no love for the Showtime Boxing frontman. The UFC CEO recently struggled to contain his amusement when asked about a report claiming that Showtime Boxing was on its way out before cursing Espinoza.
White mocked the Espinoza-led department of a premium cable channel that had recently been absorbed into Paramount+. White seemingly clashed with the executive during promotions for “The Money Fight” and didn’t hesitate to express his true feelings.
During a recent post-fight presser after Dana White’s Contender Series, White sarcastically called Espinoza’s situation “incredibly unfortunate.” He continued to state how amazing Showtime performed and how great Espinoza was, sarcastically, of course.
After he was done joking, Dana White unleashed verbal fury on Stephen Espinoza and stated:
“F*** Espinoza. He continued: “It’s about time that s***** product is off the air.”
The world of combat sports is currently going through a flux. The future of Showtime Boxing and Bellator MMA is uncertain in the industry. While many have confirmed that Bellator is done for, there is still hope that the PFL could acquire it. Otherwise, the MMA promotion will soon cease to exist.
During the presser, Dana White was responding to a report stating that Showtime Boxing wouldn’t broadcast any events next year. It has been involved in boxing telecast for the past 37 years.
Dana White’s history with Stephen Espinoza goes back to the Conor Mcgregor vs. Floyd Mayweather boxing match. It seems their rivalry stemmed from Espinoza placing the boxing match at No. 2 in domestic pay-per-view buys. At No.1, the Showtime executive placed Mayweather’s “Fight of the Century.”
Meanwhile, Dana White claimed the McGregor-Mayweather fight was the No. 1 pay-per-view of all time, drawing close to 7 million buys internationally.
Afterward, White repeatedly singled out Espinoza, claiming that Showtime was deteriorating under his leadership. However, the UFC CEO wasn’t the only one to clash with Espinoza. Conor McGregor also called the executive a “weasel” and accused him of spoiling the audio during “The Money Fight” tour.
Interestingly, Dana White’s feud with Showtime Boxing extends beyond Stephen Espinoza. He also clashed with the channel’s previous boss, Ken Hershman, over operations of the now-defunct Strikeforce. Back then, it was led by current Bellator President Scott Coker.
After the UFC bought Strikeforce, there was an FTC investigation into its business practices. However, the investigation was closed without any action taken against the world’s biggest MMA promotion.
