Dana White On Fury-Joshua Promotion Drama
Dana White says the promotion around Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua has become a circus.
The UFC CEO, who announced his involvement in the December heavyweight fight through Zuffa Boxing, told reporters the ongoing disputes with Matchroom's Eddie Hearn could have been avoided if Hearn had put the fight together himself years ago. "If Eddie Hearn really cared about this fight — first of all the fight would've happened a long time ago," White said at the Zuffa 11 post-fight press conference, per Bad Left Hook. "Listen, this whole thing's a sh-tshow right now."
Hearn Disputes White's Role in Fury vs Joshua
The tension stems from Hearn's insistence that White has no contractual right to promote the fight, even as Saudi financier Turki Alalshikh has positioned White as part of the promotional team. During Saturday's Zuffa Boxing card in England, play-by-play announcer Max Kellerman claimed White's involvement is strictly as a personal assistant to Alalshikh rather than as a promoter, according to MMA Fighting. White dismissed the characterization as strange and doubled down on his promotional role.
White told Bad Left Hook he expects clarity within three or four days. A kickoff press conference is scheduled for Wednesday, though White would not confirm his attendance. Fury took to social media earlier this week calling out Joshua and Hearn after rumors surfaced the fight could fall apart.
The December fight is set to air on Netflix and take place in England. White declined to say whether the Wednesday presser will go ahead as planned.
Photo: JazzyJoeyD / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Original reporting:
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