During his appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show this Tuesday, April 28, veteran boxing promoter Lou DiBella was blunt and straightforward when comparing Dana White and Eddie Hearn, ultimately explaining why he believes the UFC president is the superior promoter.
When asked by Ariel Helwani who is the better promoter between the two, DiBella acknowledged they operate in very different worlds, but quickly made his position clear.
“They’re very different,” DiBella said. “At the UFC they run a real business. They have a model and a business paradigm of their own. You can complain all you want, you can say it’s anti fighter, that the old system was better and the new one is scarier… you can say whatever the fuck you want, but they know what they’re doing.”
With more than three decades of experience in boxing, including his time at HBO Sports, DiBella was emphatic in stating that he does not currently see that same level of vision and execution in the boxing industry.
“To this day, in 2026, I can’t find a single surviving promoter in boxing that I can honestly say has the wherewithal and vision to know what they’re doing and create their own path. I haven’t seen it from Eddie. I haven’t seen Top Rank truly adapt to 2025 or 2026,” he stated.
When Helwani brought up Eddie Hearn and Queensberry Promotions, DiBella conceded they are “survivors” who have lasted many years in a tough sport. However, he insisted the traditional promotion model is dying.
“I think the old system is dying and pretty much already dead. The old promotional system is heading toward death,” I think Eddie, because of the strength of boxing in the UK and the strength of Matchroom’s sports holdings in general… I’m not only talking about the boxing, the fact that they have a portfolio. So I don’t think Eddie’s going away. he declared.
DiBella noted that Hearn benefits from the strength of boxing in the United Kingdom and Matchroom’s broad sports portfolio, but he was unequivocal in his final comparison:
“Do I think Dana has a smarter, more effective, better capitalized, and better television connected operation than Eddie? It’s not even a question.”
These comments carry extra weight given the current landscape. Dana White is now applying that exact UFC model to Zuffa Boxing, his new boxing venture backed by significant Saudi funding through Sela and Turki Alalshikh.
The promotion has already secured high-profile signings including Conor Benn, Edgar Berlanga, Jai Opetaia, and Richardson Hitchins, as part of a broader push to reform the Ali Act and establish its own league with controlled titles and rankings.
With his signature frankness, the veteran New York promoter delivered an uncomfortable but clear message: in his view, Dana White currently outperforms Eddie Hearn as a promoter, and traditional boxing risks being left behind if it fails to adapt to this new reality.
The full interview is available on Tuesday’s episode of The Ariel Helwani Show.
