As BoxingScene.com previously reported, UFC President Dana White made it clear that he was fully intending to go forward with his planned UFC 249 fight card, which is scheduled for April 18th.
Other sporting events, including boxing, have canceled just about everything in the months of March, April and May - due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
However, White claims to have at least four to five locations lined up to stage the pay-per-view card, which is taking place behind closed doors.
The main event for that card has fallen apart, since UFC champion Khabib Nurmagomedov is stuck in his native Russia due to the country's travel restrictions - which at the moment are not allowing people to leave and foreigners are not allowed to enter.
Justin Gaethje is already being tapped as a possible replacement to face Tony Ferguson in the main event.
Arum believes White is being careless
“It doesn’t help UFC. It doesn’t help his company. He’s making a fool of himself, particularly in a situation where people have much greater problems to deal with. People are dying. They’re dealing with the isolation. They’re dealing with losing jobs, dealing with businesses being in trouble. What is motivating him to carry it to this point? I just don’t know. I just can’t even guess what it could be," Arum told BoxingScene.com.
For the past few years, White has discussed his goal of invading the boxing industry - with his sub-company, Zuffa Boxing.
During a podcast interview with promoter Frank Warren on Monday, White explained that boxing was a very "f--ked up" business and he's not going to rush the entry of his company.
Arum does not expect White to make it very far in the industry for a variety of reasons - including the sport's Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act.
"Dana has been a good promoter for UFC, but UFC is a monopoly. He tells the fighters who they are going to fight and when they are going to fight, and he pays them very little against what professional boxers get. So he's a monopolist, and it's not easy for a monopolist to go into a sport like boxing, which is anti-monopolist," Arum told CBS Sports' "State of Combat" podcast on Tuesday.
"We have very little barriers of entry [in boxing] and we have a lot of promoters. Everybody is looking to promote for the best way that they can for themselves. Dana White could not exist in that type of milieu. He can only exist in an avenue where he is the dominant monopolistic person; where he is manager, promoter, rules maker for the participants, everything.
"I'm telling you, there is something about the operation of the UFC which is a violation of a federal law. You can't do that in boxing because of the Muhammad Ali Act, which to reasons only known to [White] doesn't apply to the UFC. Why? I don't know. The Muhammad Ali Act at least gives rights to fighters, managers and prevents a monopoly-like situation."