Don King talks MMA
Q&A: Don King on his return, old-school Vegas and MMA While the 78-year-old still has the same electric hairstyle, he’s…
Q&A: Don King on his return, old-school Vegas and MMA
While the 78-year-old still has the same electric hairstyle, he’s making a return to Las Vegas after a four-year absence with bantamweights when Joseph Agbeko faces Yonnhy Perez on Saturday in an IBF title match (Showtime, 9 ET/PT).
King contends his absence as a major player — working in the shadows while Top Rank and Golden Boy secure a bulk of the HBO dates and stage pay-per-view superfights such as Antonio-Margarito-Miguel Cotto, Oscar De La Hoya-Floyd Mayweather, De La Hoya-Manny Pacquiao, Pacquiao-Ricky Hatton and Pacquiao-Cotto on Nov. 14 — is self-imposed. He also professes admiration of mixed martial arts, including UFC president Dana White, and would like to explore that market.
“It’s not because I’m tired or hiding out. We have no stars,” King says. “We don’t have ABC Wild World of Sports anymore, CBS Sports, NBC Sports, where you can be introduce to the fighter, his family, his community.
“UFC is a great contribution. It’s a return to glory for people who like sophisticated barbarism. Dana White and (co-founder) Lorenzo Fertitta have done a phenomenal job.”
How serious is your desire to be involved with MMA?
I’m the people’s promoter. Whatever the people want, I’m going to promote. Whatever the public wants, that’s what I want to give them. I want to give it to them with candor so they can quantify, qualify and identify with whoever the athlete is.
Your rival Bob Arum has made condescending remarks about MMA, referring to their fan base as too unrefined. Your thoughts?
They are Americans. They are people. Who am I to say that something is wrong with them when I’m always crying about, “Why you’re treating me this way?” They bring competition. They bring people. Let’s enrich it and monetize it. Let’s bring the people something.
When you bring a new store to town, you can choose between the prices and the fabrics. When I bring my guys in we’ll be getting prepared to take on Dana White and Lorenzo Fertitta in their league vs. our league. The same thing I want to do with the sport of boxing I want to do with MMA. Make it competitive, man. Make it a comparison. Even though they’ve put on good fights, let’s see what they do with someone totally independent.
So does this mean you’re adding an MMA arm to Don King Productions?
Well, I can’t do this all by myself. I’m 78 but I’m not slowing down. I’ve got all the time in the world to rest when I get to heaven.