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Major UFC figure and journalist steal the show at final Canelo vs Crawford press conference
UFC chief Dana White was involved in a heated exchange with a journalist as he refused to comment on Zuffa Boxing’s plans to replace the Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act at the final press conference for Canelo Alvarez's super-fight with Terence Crawford.
Reporter Sean Zittel attempted to ask White about his plans to implement a UFC-style approach to boxing , which would be aided by replacing the ‘Ali Act’, which was first introduced in 1999.
A bi-partisan bill has been submitted to Congress labelled the Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Revival act this year, which would replace the current law.
The new bill would erode the power of boxing’s four major sanctioning bodies - the World Boxing Organisation, the World Boxing Association, the International Boxing Federation, and the World Boxing Council - whilst simultaneously giving more power to promoters when it comes to fighters’ contracts.
Zittel questioned White, asking: "Why do you want to make sweeping changes to the Muhammad Ali Reform Act that is meant to protect fighters, to bring about a business model that currently has your company already paying out $375million in anti-trust lawsuits?"
White replied: "This is obviously a long discussion. If you want to talk to me about that, then set up an interview. This isn't about me and my business. It’s about these two guys on Saturday night."
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Zittel attempted to probe further with a second question: “The California State Athletic Commission had a meeting about TKO (Parent company of Zuffa Boxing) trying to bring those changes to the Ali Act…”
"Listen, I get it, you want to showboat right now,” interjected White for a second time, who then offered a separate interview with Zittel.
"Set up an interview with me if this is really what you want to talk about."
One of the headliners, Crawford, attempted to diffuse the tense stand-off by jumping on the microphone and joking: “Fight, fight, fight!”
Attention now turns to Saturday’s main event, with Crawford hoping to defeat Canelo and take all four major belts off the undisputed super middleweight champion.
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