A new report details many aspects of the new TKO boxing league. The league was announced in recent weeks, with UFC CEO Dana White as one of the leaders of the promotion funded by Saudi Arabia’s Turki Alalshikh.
Lance Pugmire of BoxingScene reported that he has reviewed contract terms sent to prospective signees. Among the most important details in the report are contract terms and payment structures, along with the formation of internal company rankings.
Fighters who sign with the newly formed company must agree to a three-year term with the opportunity to fight every five months as well as an effort to offer as many as four fights per year. Fight purses are dependent on a fighter’s placement within company rankings.
As detailed in the BoxingScene report, purses are as follows:
- $20,000 for a 10-round bout by an unranked fighter.
- $50,000 when ranked by “the company” at No. 5 to No. 10.
- $125,000 when ranked by the company at No. 3 to No. 4.
- $375,000 when challenging for “company” championship.
- $750,000 when defending “company” championship.
Fighters who main event company pay-per-view events will also be able to work with the company on a mutual agreement of a “guaranteed purse and/or a net-profit participation.”
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The pay structure suggests the promotion will primarily focus on developing young fighters, with those purses far lower than the top stars in boxing have the potential to earn in the current landscape.
Should the new league follow the same contractual structure as the UFC, there would be extension clauses built into contracts, giving significant power to the company over fighters, something that has long been an issue in the UFC and led to lawsuits by former fighters, which were settled in 2024.
Some skeptics of the new TKO boxing efforts are concerned about this, along with the idea of internal company championships and rankings.
Internal company championships and rankings are actually two key items addressed by the Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act, passed in 2000. White and other TKO executives have expressed a desire to see the Ali Act repealed, with White even suggesting he may outright ignore it in a recent interview with veteran boxing journalist Dan Rafael.
CBS Sports has reached out to TKO to request verification and clarification on the BoxingScene report.
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