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Turns out, there might be a use for all those “Zuffa Boxing” shirts.

UFC President Dana White didn’t want to talk about a move to boxing prior to “The Money Fight.” But now that the eye-popping receipts are in for the Aug. 26 boxing match between boxer Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor, he seems more open to the idea.

White told The Wall Street Journal’s “The Unnamed Podvideocast” he isn’t interested in becoming a boxing promoter – but he might be interested in promoting boxing events under the Zuffa banner.

“I could see bringing boxing under our umbrella and see what we can do with that,” he told The Journal’s Jason Gay. “I could see doing that.”

White said his success in MMA promotion has brought offers to work in boxing, the industry in which he got his start before he agreed to manage now-UFC Hall of Famers Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz – and then convinced uber-rich casino friends Lorenzo and Frank Fertitta to buy the UFC for $2 million.

But after 16 years as the president of the UFC, White said he’s still driven by his passion for the combat sport. Plus, he’s under contract.

“Believe me, I’ve been approached by people, but where people don’t understand is, I’m still an owner,” he said. “I still have an ownership position in the UFC. And yeah, I signed a contract, but no contract can keep you anywhere.

“I could leave tomorrow if I want to. Obviously, I couldn’t go work for somebody else, but I could leave whenever I want to leave. I don’t want to leave. This is what I love to do. I’m 48 years old. This is what I jump out of bed every day and love doing.

“I love working with (Endeavor and UFC co-owner Ari Emanuel). Ari and I actually get along really, really well. And then his other partner (Patrick Whitesell) is the nicest guy in the world. I couldn’t be in a better position, and I couldn’t be doing it with better people. I’m good.”

Despite a tough year on pay-per-view for the UFC’s principal product, White is as bullish as ever on the promotion’s future. Still, there’s always room for diversification. Since the advent of the promotion’s online digital network, UFC Fight Pass, there’s been a push for fresh content from the combat-sports world.

Once a storehouse for all things MMA, UFC Fight Pass now carries live kickboxing and grappling events. A boxing event wouldn’t be a big stretch. There’s also much interest in a boxing crossover from the UFC’s current roster.

Current UFC fighters interested in stepping in the square circle include heavyweight champ Stipe Miocic, who’s talked up a showdown with his boxing counterpart Anthony Joshua. Light heavyweight contender Jimi Manuwa also has called out ex-champ David Haye.

Even before UFC lightweight champ McGregor became the first octagon fighter to realize a high-profile boxing match, there have been other UFC fighters wanting to test themselves using only fists. Now-former middleweight champion Anderson Silva wanted to box champ Roy Jones Jr. And at one point, onetime welterweight title challenger Nick Diaz signed a contract to face Jeff Lacy.

With one record-breaking event under his wing, White has some credibility for jumping into the world of boxing. The bigger question is, will UFC fans go along?

For more on the UFC’s upcoming schedule, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.

Filed under: Featured, News, UFC