“It’s all about matchmaking and having the best fight the best,” White said.
White also revealed he had recently seen criticism suggesting Zuffa’s approach wouldn’t work, but dismissed those concerns after another action-packed night.
“I saw something popped up on my feed the other day… some dude with gray hair and a beard was saying we’re matchmaking everybody wrong… Everything is about matchmaking,” said Dana.
The card featured several closely matched contests, including Rayo Valenzuela’s knockout of Edwin De Los Santos and the fight between Cain Sandoval and Brandon Lee, which White said demonstrated the philosophy he wants Zuffa Boxing to follow.
Asked whether putting talented prospects in difficult fights early is part of the company’s long-term plan, White argued that boxing has rarely operated with that mindset.
“It’s the first time there’s ever been a long-term vision for the sport.”
White later expanded on that point, saying competitive matchmaking gives cards the best chance of delivering memorable action.
“I think that when you do the right matchmaking, 99 percent of the time it should work out right. It’s not always guaranteed… but the entire business is about matchmaking in any combat sport.”
White has repeatedly criticized boxing’s tendency to protect unbeaten records by matching prospects against overmatched opposition. Saturday’s event reflected a different approach, with several evenly matched bouts producing competitive action from the opening fight through the main event.
The latest card is likely to strengthen White’s argument that fans are more interested in meaningful matchups than carefully managed records, a philosophy he says will continue to guide Zuffa Boxing as the promotion expands its schedule.
