Hearn Delights As White Booed At Fury Presser

Dana White skipped the Tyson Fury vs. Anthony Joshua kickoff presser Wednesday in London, but his name still managed to draw the biggest jeers of the afternoon.

When Turki Alalshikh thanked his absent partner during the Netflix-streamed event, the British Airways Arc crowd erupted in boos, per MMA Mania. Eddie Hearn, seated nearby, could barely contain his grin as the camera panned to him. Alalshikh attempted to deflect, telling the audience the tension was between them and White, not him.

White's Absence And Hearn's Reported Contract Win

White attributed his no-show to obligations with Tuesday's Contender Series taping, BJ Penn.com reported. Michael Buffer did not list him as a promoter during introductions. The UFC boss has clashed repeatedly with Hearn since launching Zuffa Boxing, most notably over signing Conor Benn away from Matchroom. Joshua's contract for the Dec. 11 bout at Principality Stadium in Cardiff reportedly forbids White from involvement in the promotion, a restriction Hearn has enforced.

White recently blamed Hearn's ego for the back-and-forth that nearly derailed the fight. Fury's camp wanted the bout in the United States, but the Cardiff location was ultimately announced last week.

The two heavyweights meet Dec. 11 on Netflix.

Photo: Mike DiDomizio / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Original reporting:

• mmamania.com — Dana White fails to attend Joshua vs. Fury presser, gets viciously booed anyway | MMA Mania
• bjpenn.com — Dana White mention booed during Fury vs. Joshua presser much to the delight of Eddie Hearn | BJPenn.com