Dana White Goes to the Body on Mayweather

The headlining fight the weekend of September 19 isn’t in boxing, and it isn’t Vitor Belfort/Rich Franklin: it’s the hammering that’s going to result over whichever combat sport happens to outdraw the other.

UFC 103, headlined by Belfort’s return in Dallas, will be going nearly hour-for-hour against Floyd Mayweather/Juan Manuel Marquez in Las Vegas. And if UFC President Dana White has it figured correctly, it’s already a no-contest.

“[Boxing fans] show up to see Floyd Mayweather not fight,” White told -- well, I’m not sure who he’s addressing in the video, exactly. “This guy will run around in circles….you’re going to pay $55, $60 to see ‘Dancing with the Stars’ with Mayweather again. On that same night, you can all tune in [to the UFC] to see five great fights for $10 less.”

I shovel dirt on boxing’s decomposing body so often that now’s as good a time as any to get the Devil’s advocate horns out: for one, Mayweather/Marquez is $49.95, a $5 difference. It has the potential to go 12 rounds, or 36 minutes to Franklin/Belfort’s 15. Better, boxing has shown some surprising ingenuity by offering the fight in over 170 theaters across the country for a highly reasonable fifteen bucks.

But White’s comments about fans preferring to see Manny Pacquiao in action hold up to scrutiny: according to boxingscene.com, the Filipino fighter’s date with Miguel Cotto is nearly sold out for November 14, while plenty of seats at all price points are still available for the Mayweather comeback.

If White’s predictions are right, that’s good news: after next weekend’s box offices are tallied, Floyd may need to sit down.