Boxing

Max Kellerman Reveals Why He's Been 'Waiting' For Zuffa Boxing His Whole Life

'Inside the Ring' host explains what about Dana White and Zuffa Boxing gets him the most excited for their upcoming launch
Jaren Kawada|
Former ESPN host Max Kellerman
Former ESPN host Max Kellerman | IMAGO / ZUMA Press Wire

Max Kellerman believes Zuffa Boxing is what he has been waiting for his entire life.

Kellerman was out of boxing for over a year before Dana White and Turki Alalshikh brought him back to the sport for the Canelo Alvarez vs. Terence Crawford event. Kellerman recently revealed why he returned, and what it is about Zuffa Boxing that has him believing change is in store.

Kellerman on Zuffa Boxing

Max Kellerman
Max Kellerman | Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

As he told fans before the Alvarez-Crawford fight card, Kellerman believes White will deliver on all his promises. He believes the industry will change for the better, with White creating a "league" that will address most of boxing's issues.

"My whole life as a boxing fan, I've been waiting for this," Kellerman said on Inside the Ring. "The reason this was so appealing to me is because it's never existed in boxing before. The closest boxing has had to a league was when the mob controlled the league, right?

"Boxing has never had a central authority that has been able to make moves in the long-term interest of the sport... What Dana White has done in the UFC is combine the best of the NBA and the NFL... The UFC has a brand where the consumer knows when they tune in, they're gonna get what they came for. As Dana says, in boxing, so often when you pay pay-per-view, the feeling away with at the end is, 'They got me again.'"

Kellerman is a staple of Inside the Ring, hosting the weekly show every Monday. He has confirmed he will have a role in Zuffa Boxing, though the details of that deal remain scarce.

Zuffa Boxing set to launch first official event

White promoted the Alvarez-Crawford event, but that was not an official Zuffa Boxing event. The promotion will officially launch on Friday with an event billed as Zuffa Boxing 1.

Dana White
Dana White, CEO of Ultimate Fighting Championship introduces Republican presidential nominee Donald J. Trump during the final day of the Republican National Convention. | Jasper Colt / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Zuffa Boxing already has its first three events scheduled over the next three months. White confirmed that the promotion will hold roughly one event per month, totaling about 12 to 13 fight cards each year for the duration of their broadcast deal with Paramount+.

Zuffa Boxing has already made an impact on the industry before even holding its first event. The promotion announced its recent signing of IBF and The Ring cruiserweight champion Jai Opetaia, with White admitting that bigger names will join the roster soon.

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Jaren Kawada
JAREN KAWADA

Jaren Kawada is a combat sports writer who specializes in betting, with over five years of experience in boxing and MMA. When he is not covering the sport, Kawada is an avid MMA, Brazilian jiu-jitsu and boxing practitioner. Kawada has previous bylines with ClutchPoints, Sportskeeda MMA, BetSided and FanSided MMA. Born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii, Kawada has a B.A. in Sports Media from Butler University and now resides in Denver, Colorado.

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