Gervonta Davis expresses concerns about new potential $5 billion Saudi-backed UFC-like boxing league: "That would never happen"

Boxing world champion Gervonta Davis is not confident about the chances of a UFC-like boxing league becoming a successful venture. According to reports, Saudi Arabia is planning to disrupt the boxing world by creating a global boxing league consisting of top athletes. The proposal is reportedly in the final stages and negotiations are ongoing for initial investment.

Promoters' reluctance and contractual disagreements have often been cited as major hurdles in elite boxing matchmaking. It is speculated that bringing the most elite talent in the sport under a single umbrella would ensure that the best boxers compete against each other consistently.

While interacting with boxing media ahead of his June 15 clash against Frank Martin, 'Tank' shared his apprehensions about the possibility of a global boxing league taking shape. He said:

"I mean, that would never happen because everybody don't agree [with each other], everybody [is] not on the same page. That would have been happened [already]."

Catch Gervonta Davis' comments below (7:08):

Davis is set to attempt the fifth defense of his WBA lightweight title against Martin in the headlining bout on June 15. The fight will mark the 29-year-old's first competitive appearance since he handed Ryan Garcia the first loss of his professional boxing career.

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What does the UFC-style boxing league encompass?

News reports state that Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund [PIF] will finance the boxing league project. It is rumored that the project will involve bringing 200 of the world's top boxers under the league's umbrella and dividing them into 12 weight classes.

A recent New York Times report stated that the project is yet to receive final approval and negotiations to disburse $2 billion worth of initial investments are currently underway. However, PIF or Saudi Arabian authorities have not commented on the matter publicly so far.

In an interview with ESPN, the Chairman of Saudi Arabia's General Entertainment Authority, Turki Alalshikh said that there is a huge potential in boxing while also admitting that things need to be improved:

"We have a lot of information and we have our own studies and we think from what we tested in the last six months, there is a big opportunity in boxing. But you must improve the market. You must fix all the problems." [H/T ESPN]