Showtime Sports president Stephen Espinoza and UFC CEO Dana White exchanged harsh words with each other, following Espinoza’s comments on the success of Showtime’s boxing programming and White’s criticism of the network’s rumored withdrawal from boxing programming in 2024.
Stephen Espinoza, Showtime Sports president, didn’t directly call out Dana White, the UFC CEO, during a pre-fight press conference on Wednesday, but appeared to have him in mind. With the big fight between Canelo Alvarez and Jermell Charlo coming up for pay-per-view on Saturday night, Espinoza highlighted the considerable success of Showtime in 2023. His remarks came on the heels of rumors suggesting that Showtime would halt boxing programming starting in 2024, which prompted White to criticize the promotion and rudely dismiss Espinoza.
In response, Espinoza honed in on the figures — especially those from the biggest cards that Showtime has promoted in 2023, boasting live gate numbers that surpass UFC’s. “No disrespect to anyone but there are levels to this,” Espinoza noted. He elaborated that what they do at Showtime represents the highest level in the sport. He forecasted over $20 million in gate takings for Saturday’s fight, asserting that this accomplishment, which they have now achieved three times within six months, is a rare feat in the realm of combat sports or any type of event.
White quickly snubbed Espinoza’s claim by posting a retort on Instagram. He referred to Espinoza as a “weasel” and a “scumbag”, denying him any credit for the success of Canelo Alvarez, Ryan Garcia, and Terence Crawford. In White’s view, the fighters are mega-stars who are the sole driving force behind their fight gates. Furthermore, he derided Espinoza’s assertion about ‘levels’ and criticized the quality of Showtime’s fight productions.
The animosity between White and Espinoza reportedly began during the Floyd Mayweather versus Conor McGregor fight promotion in 2017. Espinoza, who was representing Showtime, sat alongside Mayweather, while White was on McGregor’s side. Despite the massive pay-per-view sales this fight generated, marking it one of the biggest successes in combat sports history, any rapport that may have developed between Espinoza and White during the tour seemed to have quickly dissipated, evident from their ongoing squabbles. Regarding the future of Showtime and the combat sports sphere, Espinoza refrained from addressing any rumors about the network moving away from boxing in 2024 or the potential sale of Bellator MMA, part of the same Paramount network.