Eddie Hearn and UFC CEO Dana White have long been engaged in verbal jabs, and White has sparked fresh controversy over the long-awaited showdown between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua, claiming he will serve as the promoter for the blockbuster fight. Hearn was quick to dismiss the claim.
The heavyweight clash between Fury and Joshua is expected to take place later this year and is already being viewed as one of the biggest fights in British boxing history.
Reports recently suggested that Saudi boxing chief Turki Alalshikh presented Joshua’s team with a two-fight agreement that includes the former two-time unified heavyweight champion’s comeback fight before the highly anticipated ‘Battle of Britain.’
During a recent interview with Nina Drama, White confidently stated that he would be handling promotional duties for the event.
“I’m doing the Tyson Fury vs AJ fight… I’m promoting that,” White said.
Hearn quickly fires back at White
White’s comments immediately caught attention across boxing, especially because Hearn has long promoted Joshua under Matchroom Boxing.
Shortly after White’s statement began circulating online, Hearn responded sharply through his Instagram story and dismissed the idea entirely.
“Such a clout chaser,” Hearn wrote on Instagram.
The Matchroom chairman also claimed that the scenario White described would not even be contractually possible.
“Not a chance and contractually impossible,” he added.
Hearn then closed his response with a direct personal shot aimed at the UFC president.
“Let me know when you find your ba**s,” he wrote.
White’s boxing involvement continues to grow
White’s comments come amid his increasing involvement in boxing through his partnership with Turki Alalshikh and the recently launched Zuffa Boxing. They are set to host their first boxing event outside Meta APEX. They are set to host ZUFFA Boxing 07 at the Bournemouth International Center (BIC) in Bournemouth, England.
White has taken a step back from UFC and repeatedly expressed interest in entering the boxing world more aggressively. A Fury vs Joshua superfight would instantly become one of the biggest events possible for the promotion.
Still, Hearn’s reaction suggests that significant disagreements remain behind the scenes regarding who would officially promote the event.
Despite the latest promoter drama, momentum around Fury vs. Joshua continues to build rapidly.
Joshua is set to return against Kristian Prenga on July 25 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, as part of preparations for the Fury fight. Meanwhile, Fury himself is reportedly exploring another interim bout before the expected November showdown.
If finalized, the fight would finally bring together two of Britain’s biggest heavyweight stars after years of failed negotiations and near agreements. As of writing, no official date or venue has been announced, although it was reported that the fight will be streamed on Netflix.
