Dana White shares takeover plan for 'rinky dink' boxing following Zuffa bout

Dana Whiteloves a fight.

He picked one with the boxing establishment a long time ago. Then he added fuel to the fire Sunday, March 8.

During a press conference afterJai Opetaia defeated Brandon Glantonby unanimous decision to become the first champion of White's Zuffa Boxing, he belittled those running the sport as "rinky dink'' and inept enough for him to make some startling predictions.

"I'm going to sign everybody we think has the potential to be a world champion or that is potentially the best in the world,'' he declared.

Lightweight champion Shakur Stevenson and heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk, are they on that list, a reporter asked.

"I'm going to (expletive) sign everybody,'' White replied, later adding, "All the biggest guys are going to be here.''

As the UFC's CEO, White already controlsmixed martial arts. He clearly intends to do the same thing with boxing. Even though Opetaia is the lone star White has signed to date.

But remember, Zuffa Boxing is only four right into its existence. And White likely is working with a blank check after partnering with Turki Alalshikh, Chairman of Saudi Arabia's General Entertainment Authority.

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Now about that rant, White said, "Listen, this sport is broken for a reason. Everybody is a bunch of rinky dink. I mean, it's the most (expletive) rinky dink thing that I have ever seen in my life. I don't know why I expected more from any of these people. But, boy, let me tell you what, (stuff's) about to get good.''

Zuffa Boxing is in good position thanks to its deal with Paramount+, which this year became the streaming home not only for the UFC, but also Zuffa Boxing. Which launched in January and only four fight cards into its existence.

Yet clearly White was irritated with the IBF – one of boxing's four sanctioning bodies. On Friday, the IBF abruptly announced it was reversing its plan to sanction the fight between Opetaia and Glanton. Not only that, the IBF stripped its cruiserweight title from Opetaia. It looked like a low blow. Or in MMA vernacular, an eye poke.

The move seemed designed to undermine the value of Zuffa Boxing's new belt, strapped around Opetaia after his victory Sunday. But maybe nothing more than another belt, further diluting world championships?

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"I would say that's ridiculous,'' White said. "So what we're doing is, all the guys that fight for us, that will be the belt. There won't be any other belts. We'll have some situations where Jai wanted to fight for the IBF (belt). But this is all just getting started.''

Just the beginning.

And the end White's blast-boxing rant.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Dana White shares Zuffa Boxing takeover plan

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March 09, 2026

Dana White shares takeover plan for 'rinky dink' boxing following Zuffa bout

Dana Whiteloves a fight. He picked one with the boxing establishment a long time ago. Then he added fuel to th...

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Report: TE Travis Kelce wants to keep playing, perhaps not for Chiefs

Star tight end Travis Kelce wants to continue his NFL career after 13 years with the Kansas City Chiefs and could be open to playing for another team, The Athletic reported on Sunday.

Kelce, who will be 37 in October, has been selected to 11 Pro Bowls and is a four-time first-team All-Pro with Kansas City, which drafted him in the third round in 2013.

He has been weighing whether to return for this 14th season in the league and has debated retirement for the past two offseasons. One new layer this offseason is Kelce is set to become an unrestricted free agent after finishing his two-year, $34.25 million extension this past season.

The Athletic reported that Kelce's representatives are expected to talk with multiple teams.

Kansas City, while financially strapped by salary-cap issues, has been diplomatic in a wait-and-see approach with Kelce regarding retirement or another season.

"We've kind of prepared for either scenario," Chiefs general manager Brett Veach said at the NFL Scouting Combine on Feb. 24. "We're trying to position ourselves that either way, we have a plan moving forward."

Veach said he would be meeting with Kelce's representatives following the combine and "you need some sort of timeline and deadline," but called conversations with his camp "positive."

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Head coach Andy Reid said he routinely is in touch with Kelce, who is coming off a relatively down year in a Hall of Fame career.

He had 851 yards and five touchdowns last season, but 76 receptions was Kelce's lowest total since he had 72 in 2015. No. 2 tight end Noah Gray also is an unrestricted free agent.

"Travis is the best, he's an icon and hopefully he comes back," Veach said in the February interview. "We'll just kind of let that process play out. It's not your typical 27-year-old first-time-in-free agency.

"Travis has done everything. He's accomplished everything. He's about to get married, got a lot going on. We're just going to continue to have positive dialogue and see where this thing ends."

Prior to the 2025 season, Kelce admitted that he contemplated retirement. He also said his life has changed in some ways since he began dating the biggest pop star on the planet in Taylor Swift, to whom he is engaged.

Kelce, a three-time Super Bowl champion, is the Chiefs' all-time leader in receptions (1,080), receiving yards (13,002) and touchdown receptions (82).

--Field Level Media

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March 09, 2026

Report: TE Travis Kelce wants to keep playing, perhaps not for Chiefs

Star tight end Travis Kelce wants to continue his NFL career after 13 years with the Kansas City Chiefs and could be o...

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‘Save our girls’: Supporters plead for action over Iranian women’s football team in Australia

After their final defeat in the Asian Women's Cup on Sunday, supporters of theIranian women's football teamcrowded around their bus shouting at police to "save our girls" as it pulled away.

Hadi Karimi, a human rights advocate and member of the local Iranian community, said supporters outside the bus could clearly see at least three players inside making the international hand signal for help.

"We're asking federal police, the government, Australian people, everyone. These girls are asking for help. They showing their hand, (the) SOS sign. This is very, very important. Their life is in danger," he said.

The players, who've been in Australia for a week, are at the center of growing calls for their exit from the country to be blocked for fear of persecution in Iran, their home country that's at war with the US and Israel under a hardline new supreme leader.

Before their first match last Monday, the players stood silent during the Iranian national anthem, a gesture they didn't explain but one that was interpreted by some hardliners inside Iran as a sign of treason.

Sources told CNN they were forced to sing the national anthem ahead of their next match on Thursday, and on Sunday, ahead of their final 0-2 defeat to the Philippines, they again sang the anthem and gave a military salute.

The women's plight has reached Reza Pahlavi, the son of Iran's ousted shah, who also joined calls for the Australia government to ensure their safety, warning in a post on X that they'll face "dire consequences" if they return to Iran.

"As a result of their brave act of civil disobedience in refusing to sing the current regime's national anthem, they face dire consequences should they return to Iran," Pahlavi posted on X. "I call on the Australian government to ensure their safety and give them any and all needed support."

Defiance then silence

The Iranian women's team has been contesting the Women's Asian Cup in Australia during a week of turmoil for their country as the conflict with the US and Israel escalates to take in neighboring countries.

The war has disrupted international travel, and while flying to the Middle East right now is difficult due to airspace closures and the risk of airstrikes, supporters fear the women will be taken to a third country – perhaps China, Russia or Malaysia – before an onward journey to the Middle East.

Craig Foster, a former Australian international and human rights advocate, said "a vast range of organizations" had tried to speak with the women during their time in Australia but had been denied the opportunity.

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"No athlete group should ever be effectively held hostage by their own member federation and denied access to external support networks," he said. He said as the players had been knocked out the competition, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) had responsibility for their welfare.

"The first thing that the Australian football community is calling on them is to grant access to the players to safe, culturally appropriate support networks, so that they can privately and confidentially express if they are feeling unsafe and what they would like to see happen," he said.

CNN has reached out to the AFC and the Iranian Football Federation for comment.

Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong declined to comment on Sunday, when asked if there'd been any contact between Australian officials and the Iranian players. She said she didn't want to "get into commentary about the Iranian women's team."

"We stand in solidarity with the men and women of Iran and particularly Iranian women and girls," she told national broadcaster, the ABC. "Obviously, this is a regime that we know has brutally cracked down on its people."

At a post-match press conference on Sunday, Iran coach Marziyeh Jafari said the team was keen to return home. "Personally, I would like to return to my country as soon as possible and be with my compatriots and family," she said.

Karimi, who's also vice president of the Iranian society of Queensland, said supporters gathered outside the players' hotel and when they couldn't make contact them due to tight security, they sought help from local Australian police.

They were back there on Monday, keeping watch to see if the bus leaves with the players on board for the airport. "We want you to separate them from IRGC," he said, referring to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

"Separate them from Islamic regime members, and interview them," he said.

CNN's Patrick Sung Cuadrado and Christina Macfarlane contributed reporting.

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March 09, 2026

‘Save our girls’: Supporters plead for action over Iranian women’s football team in Australia

After their final defeat in the Asian Women's Cup on Sunday, supporters of theIranian women's football teamcrowde...

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Joel Hofer makes 22 saves for 5th shutout of the season, Blues beat Ducks 4-0

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Joel Hofer made 22 saves for his fifth shutout of the season, Jonathan Drouin scored in his Blues debut and St. Louis beat the Anaheim Ducks 4-0 on Sunday night to sweep a four-game trip.

Blues Ducks Hockey

Jordan Kyrou, Jimmy Snuggerud and Pius Suter also scored to help St. Louis win for the fifth time in six games since the Olympic break.

Drouin was acquired from the Islanders on Friday at the trade deadline in the deal that sent Blues captain Brayden Schenn to New York. The left wing scored the second of three second-period goals, firing a slap shot past Ville Husso on a power play with 9:53 left.

Kyrou opened the scoring at 4:22, snapping a shot from the right side to the far post on a 3-on-1 break. After helping set up Drouin's goal, Snuggerud added one of his own on a one-timer with 7:49 to go.

St. Louis failed to add to the lead on an extended power play that spilled into the third when Ross Johnston received a major penalty for boarding Justin Holl, the defenseman who also made his Blues debut after coming over from Detroit.

After Anaheim successfully challenged Snuggerud's apparent goal midway through the third for offsides, Suter scored into an empty net with 4:02 to go

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Husso stopped 31 shots. The Ducks completed a nine-game homestand, splitting the last four after winning the first five. They were 0 for 6 on the power play against the Blues.

John Carlson, the defenseman acquired from Washington on Thursday, missed his fifth straight game because of lower-body injury. Ducks center Mikael Granlund returned after missing six games because of an upper-body injury sustained playing for Finland in the Olympic bronze-medal game.

Up next

Blues: Host the New York Islanders on Tuesday night.

Ducks: At Winnipeg on Tuesday night.

AP NHL:https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

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March 08, 2026

Joel Hofer makes 22 saves for 5th shutout of the season, Blues beat Ducks 4-0

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Joel Hofer made 22 saves for his fifth shutout of the season, Jonathan Drouin scored in his Blues ...

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3rd-period surge lifts the Oilers past the Golden Knights, 4-2

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Vasily Podkolzin, Leon Draisaitl and Kasperi Kapanen scored in the third period and the Edmonton Oilers beat the Vegas Golden Knights 4-2 on Sunday night to tighten the Pacific Division race.

Oilers Golden Knights Hockey

The Golden Knights, with 72 points, missed a chance to go back in front of Anaheim, which remained at 73 after theDucks lost 4-0 at home to St. Louis. Third-place Edmonton has 70.

Vegas has lost five of six games, and the Oilers had dropped six of eight going into this meeting.

Trent Frederic also scored for the Oilers, and Connor Ingram made 24 saves. Connor McDavid had two assists and Evan Bouchard had one to extended their points streak to seven games.

Noah Hanifin and Jack Eichel scored for Golden Knights. Mitch Marner had two assists and Adin Hill stopped 15 shots.

Vegas winger Brett Howden played for the first time in two months. He had been out with a lower-body injury.

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The teams traded goals in the second period, but a goal from Golden Knights winger Keegan Kolesar was successfully challenged by the Oilers.

Then in the third, Podkolzin scored an unassisted goal on a breakaway off a faceoff to put the Oilers ahead 2-1 just 2:34 into period. Draisaitl's goal with 8:07 remaining came after Eichel failed to clear the puck out of his zone because teammate Rasmus Andersson's broken stick was in the way.

Eichel scored a short-handed goal from the right circle with 3:16 left to cut the deficit to one. Then, Kapanen ended just about any doubts with an empty-netter with 1:57 remaining.

Up next

Oilers: At Colorado on Tuesday night.

Golden Knights: At Dallas on Tuesday night.

AP NHL:https://apnews.com/NHL

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March 08, 2026

3rd-period surge lifts the Oilers past the Golden Knights, 4-2

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Vasily Podkolzin, Leon Draisaitl and Kasperi Kapanen scored in the third period and the Edmonton Oilers ...

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Booker scores 30 points as Suns halt Hornets' road winning streak at 10 with 111-99 victory

PHOENIX (AP) — Devin Booker had 30 points and 10 assists as the Phoenix Suns stopped the Charlotte Hornets' road winning streak at 10 games with a 111-99 victory Sunday night.

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Booker was 1 for 6 from 3-point range but made all 15 of his free throws.

Collin Gillespie and Jalen Green each scored 24 points for the Suns, who have won four of five. Rasheer Fleming added 16 off the bench, including four 3-pointers.

LaMelo Ball led the Hornets with 22 points. Their road winning streak was the NBA's longest since the Los Angeles Lakers won 11 straight away from home in 2019-20. Charlotte hadn't lost on the road since Jan. 17 at Golden State.

The longest road winning streak in NBA history is 16 games, by the 1971-72 Lakers during their league-record 33-game run overall.

Miles Bridges scored 16 points, Kon Knueppel had 15 and Brandon Miller added 11 — all in the first half — for Charlotte. Knueppel was just 2 for 8 from behind the arc but the rookie still leads the NBA with 224 3-pointers.

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This was the first of a four-game Hornets road swing. Despite losing this one and at home Friday against Miami, they're 16-5 in the last 21 games in their rebound from a 4-14 start.

Phoenix, playing its last home game before six straight on the road, has won three of four. The Suns were again without starters Dillon Brooks (hand fracture) and Mark Williams (foot fracture). Key reserve Grayson Allen also sat out with a sore right knee.

The Suns led 60-58 at halftime. Green had 20 points and Booker 14.

Up next

Hornets: Play at Portland on Tuesday.

Suns: Play at Milwaukee on Tuesday.

AP NBA:https://apnews.com/hub/nba

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March 08, 2026

Booker scores 30 points as Suns halt Hornets' road winning streak at 10 with 111-99 victory

PHOENIX (AP) — Devin Booker had 30 points and 10 assists as the Phoenix Suns stopped the Charlotte Hornets' road winn...

Read More