Golden Boy promoter appeared on ESPN’s First Take yesterday to discuss a number of topics, including the potential for a third fight between Canelo Alvarez and Gennady Golovkin, the state of heavyweight boxing, and his problem with UFC promoter Dana White. Check out some excerpts from the segment below.
On another possible rematch between Canelo and Golovkin:
“Why not GGG again? I mean, I wanna see it! So we’ll see if we can make it happen next year.”
On why a third fight between them would be any different from the first two:
“I think the difference will be somebody is going to knock somebody out. I think that’s gonna be the difference. I mean, they know each other’s style now. GGG, the first fight, ok, he came forward and people said ‘oh, well he won the fight because he was aggressive.’
“So now I tell Canelo, ‘You have to go out there and bully the bully. You have to go out there and go forward and throw every combination, you know, until the last round. And that’s exactly what he did, and he won the fight.
“And now, if a third one happens, I think there’s no room for decision or anything like that. I think you have to knock your guy out to win.
“I think you could see five fights! Why not?!”
DLH on who he thinks is the best heavyweight in the division:
“...Anthony Joshua. I think so. After watching Wilder and Fury, I have mad respect for them, both guys. ‘Cause I mean look, these guys were throwing bombs...I mean, Fury goes down, referee’s counting him out, and all the sudden you see the freakin’ Undertaker just get up, you know? It was crazy! So mad respect for both guys. I think Wilder did a great job, Fury did a great job, but the gatekeeper right there in that division is Anthony Joshua.”
On his beef with UFC president Dana White and what he makes of White publicly calling him a coke-head:
“Well, look, first of all, what I said about — not about him personally, just about the business — about how fighters are just coming up to me and saying ‘look, we don’t get paid enough, UFC just sold for $4 billion dollars, we’re here struggling, trying to make ends meet. Fighting in a world title fight where the fight does 1 million homes and I only get paid $50,000.’
“Look, I’m not attacking his persona. I’m not attacking him personally. If he wants attack me personally of what happened 15 years ago, you know, and let me tell you one thing: after that, yeah, I made myself better. Yes, I’ve cleaned up. Yes, I’ve done the work to be the person I am today, and that’s a person that is clean, a good citizen of America, and that’s what I do. I’m working hard to build my business and to take care of my fighters.
“Are you doing the same?! Are you taking care of your fighters?! Why are so many fighters complaining? You know what, I’m getting to a point where I was gonna do one event — ok, Tito Ortiz and Chuck Liddell, ok? I have Tito Ortiz and Chuck Liddell the opportunity because Dana White doesn’t pay them enough. Why in the hell is Chuck Liddell still fighting at this age? Because Dana White doesn’t pay him enough! That’s Why! So I have to come in, give him his biggest payday that he’s ever made.”
On people ridiculing the fight, believing Liddell had no business fighting in the octagon again (and specifically White saying anyone who cared about Liddell wouldn’t have allowed him to fight):
“Did you know that Chuck Liddell made $200,000 when he fought Tito Ortiz [with UFC], and that PPV did 1.5M homes?! Who kept the rest of the money?! That’s not fair. You don’t do that to fighters.”
On if boxing and UFC aren’t just two completely different business structures with UFC having a unified league, so to speak:
“Ok, fine then. I’ma take the calls that all these UFC fighters are calling me. I mean there’s 40, 50 fighters who are calling me. I’m not taking those calls because I respect their contracts, I respect the fact that they’re with the UFC. But let me tell you one thing, once those fighters are free agents, then guess what? I’ma take those calls.
“Hell yes [I’m going to compete with Dana White]! Yes I am! I’m gonna compete with Dana White. Just the way I started Golden Boy Promotions, and now we’re the biggest powerhouse in boxing, that’s exactly what I’ma do with MMA.”
On what’s next for Golden Boy in the MMA realm:
“In MMA, you know, I’ma sit down with my team, I’ma analyze who the free agents are out there — because I’m not gonna get a hold of no fighters who are under contract with UFC, don’t get me wrong. I wanna see who’s a free agent, who contacts me, and then I’ll build another event, but I’ll build a big event. I’ll build an event where, yeah, the fighters are not Tito Ortiz and Chuck Liddell’s ages, but I’ll build an amazing event and not do it pay-per-view. I’ll do it on a platform that’s not gonna charge you $80, $90. Pay-per-view’s gone...That’s why Canelo Alvarez is gonna make $365M not fighting on pay-per-view.”