Sky Sports announce multi-year Dana White deal weeks after Conor Benn switch

The American start-up, which is being overseen by UFC supremo Dana White, had been in talks with the broadcaster over a deal for the last few months. And those negotiations have bore fruit, with Sky now set to air the promotion’s shows for the next few years. And White, who is spearheading the TKO Group and Saudi-backed promotion, is over the moon with the parntership. The 56-year-old said: “The UK has played such a pivotal role throughout the history of boxing. “The fans there are some of the most loyal and passionate in the world. “When you talk about boxing in that region, Sky Sports has always been the home for legendary boxing fights. “There’s no bigger or better platform to showcase the best boxing in the UK. Zuffa will host at least five shows a year on UK soil, with London expected to be their main port of call, as it is for the UFC. SUN VEGAS WELCOME OFFER: GET £50 BONUS WHEN YOU JOIN Sky Sports’ Chief Officer UK & Ireland, Jonathan Licht, said: “Sky Sports has been a long-standing partner to boxing for more than 30 years. “Zuffa Boxing has exciting plans for the sport, and we share that same ambition when it comes to putting on the best fights for our customers. “We look forward to a new era where we’ll use our platform to both build stars and showcase elite boxing talent here in the UK and internationally.” Zuffa’s bagging of a UK broadcast deal with Sky comes less than a month after they added one of the nation’s biggest stars to their roster. White and Co. last month lured welterweight contender Conor Benn away from Eddie Hearn and Matchroom Boxing. Benn inked a one-fight deal with Zuffa worth more than a whopping £11million. His first outing since leaving Hearn will take place next month on the undercard of Tyson Fury’s ring return against Arslanbek Makhmudov at the Tottehham Hotspur Stadium. He’ll throw down with former two-time super-lightweight champion Regis Prograis on the Netflix card. More to follow… For the latest news on this story keep checking back at The Sun Online Thesun.co.uk is your go-to destination for the best celebrity news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures and must-see video. Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/thesun and follow us from our main Twitter account at @TheSun.