Format of Boxing League: 200 Fighters and UFC Model

The Public Investment Fund (PIF) of Saudi Arabia is in the final stages of negotiations for allocating initial investments of up to $2 billion to create a new boxing league, reports the NY Times, citing sources involved in the planning.

According to the Saudi proposal, contracts will be signed with around 200 of the world's top boxers, who will then be divided into 12 weight categories, forming a global boxing league. Each category will include about 15 fighters, allowing top talents to regularly face each other. This step aims to create a unified boxing landscape, replacing the convoluted system of competing promoters and sanctioning bodies that organize their own fights and award their own titles.

The new league will operate under a single brand and system, similar to the business model of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), featuring a top-15 ranking in each weight class, as well as an overall "Pound for Pound" ranking. Fighters will be promoted within the rankings, but can also be excluded from the league and replaced with new talents.

The project has been in discussion for over a year. If the investment decision is confirmed in the coming weeks, the boxing league could launch in the first half of 2025.

The biggest obstacle to the Saudi plan could be the long-term contracts that some of the top boxers already have with major promoters, many of whom are often tied to various broadcasters. To address this issue, discussions have already begun about the possibility of full or partial investments by PIF in several major promotion companies.

The new league will require fighters to participate in a minimum number of events per year to avoid long pauses between the bouts of top fighters.

If the boxing league plan succeeds, the promotion of the league worldwide will be handled by Sela, a company that has previously organized tournaments in Saudi Arabia, including the bout for the undisputed heavyweight championship between Briton Tyson Fury and Ukrainian Oleksandr Usyk.