Dana White Looking to Sign Joshua to Record Deal

It seems to be a trend nowadays to have athletes from other sports go and sign with alternative outlets, and that can be proven with Ronda Rousey to the WWE, or even Conor McGregor to the Boxing universe. While Anthony Joshua will not be joining the UFC, it has been reported that UFC President Dana White is looking to sign Joshua to a new multi-fight promotion deal.

Joshua, 28, currently holds a record of 20 wins and no losses in his professional boxing career. He has been on a run since his career started, as his win over Wladimir Klitschko marketed himself as one of the brightest boxers in the heavyweight division.

With reports of White desiring for Joshua to sign with him, this wouldn’t be any ordinary deal. In fact, White has noted that he would be willing to pay the undefeated boxer roughly $500 million dollars to sign the dotted line.

Joshua is scheduled to defend his titles and challenge the WBO heavyweight champion Joseph Parker, who currently holds a record of 24 wins and no losses. He is expected to make $13 million for his fight with Parker, but has noted that with permission, he would be open to hearing about the largest offer to date.

Not that many athletes receive a deal worth up to $500 million, but nowadays, combat sports really enjoy holding crossover events.

White has experience dealing with boxing promotions before, and that was evident when McGregor came home with  $30 million in sponsors and ticket sales in his loss against Floyd Mayweather Jr. If Joshua could fill the position for White, this could very well be a goldmine for the UFC President.

UFC Heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic, Francis Ngannou, Volkan Oezdemir, Daniel Cormier and Jon Jones are all top talents in the UFC universe, and in recent odds, Stipe Miocic would be favored heavily over the boxing star in any potential bout. I find it difficult to believe Joshua would approach the UFC about a crossover event, but the options are limitless.

With Joshua having his sights set on defending his titles against Parker, the future should considered wide open. With crossover events taking over the sports world, don’t be shocked if this becomes a reality by the end of the year.

Mayweather Jr. is currently attempting to transition from boxing to MMA, so if Joshua potentially throws his name in the octagon, this could be an interesting development.

Photo credit: MMAFighting.com