Fury vs Joshua fight excludes Dana White, Zuffa Boxing from promotions

Tyson Fury's contract to face Anthony Joshua does not require the heavyweight superfight to take place in the United Kingdom, BoxingScene has learned, though Joshua's deal mandates a British venue.

Matchroom promoter Eddie Hearn disclosed that both contracts explicitly prohibit Dana White and Zuffa Boxing from any promotional role in the event. The agreements, signed with Saudi financier Turki Alalshikh and events company Sela, list Hearn and England's Frank Warren as the exclusive promoters of record.

"Specifically in the contract it says Dana White, Zuffa cannot have any promotional involvement in the show," Hearn told reporters Friday at Desert Diamond Arena ahead of Jesse Rodriguez's bantamweight title defense. "Dana doesn't know about the contract for the show that we signed and negotiated."

Venue dispute centers on contractual wiggle room

White claimed last week he would promote the bout and suggested it might land outside the U.K., with boxing officials telling BoxingScene that Alalshikh floated SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles as a possible site. Hearn speculated Las Vegas' Allegiant Stadium could also be in play, though he stressed any move would require fresh negotiations.

Hearn acknowledged Alalshikh could seek a venue change but noted the Saudi backer cannot unilaterally override Joshua's contract terms. "If Turki Alalshikh wants to hold the fight in another country, that's not necessarily a problem, but contractually he cannot do that," he said. Both fighters have tune-ups scheduled before the clash, with Joshua facing Kristian Prenga on July 25 and Fury returning August 1 in Dublin.

The Rodriguez-Vargas bantamweight unification takes place Saturday night in Arizona, while Joshua and Fury remain on track for a late 2025 meeting pending resolution of the promotional and venue questions.

Source: boxingscene.com