Eddie Hearn: DAZN Sent Dana White Cease-and-Desist Over Garcia-Benn

Matchroom Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn says DAZN issued a cease-and-desist to Dana White over unauthorized talks with Ryan Garcia, adding a second legal roadblock to Zuffa Boxing's pursuit of a Garcia-Conor Benn fight.

Hearn told iFL TV that the streaming platform sent the letter three or four days ago because Garcia holds an exclusive broadcast deal with DAZN. That came on top of an earlier cease-and-desist from Golden Boy Promotions, which manages Garcia and objected to Zuffa negotiating without their involvement. "So Dana actually had two cease-and-desists, one from Golden Boy and Oscar de la Hoya and one from DAZN," Hearn said, per MMA Fighting.

Why Hearn Says White Can't Handle Boxing Politics

Hearn argued that White must accept Golden Boy as a co-promoter if the Garcia-Benn bout moves forward, forcing the UFC chief to share press conference stages with Oscar de la Hoya. He pointed to his own experience navigating DAZN exclusivity for Katie Taylor and Anthony Joshua fights on Netflix as proof that boxing requires negotiation, not the control-freak approach White applies in MMA. "They can't control, these guys are control freaks," Hearn said on a DAZN podcast. "In the UFC world, they come in, they can manipulate things, they can dominate people, they can force fighters' hands to do things. It doesn't work like that in boxing."

Hearn also mocked White's recent public criticism of DAZN, noting that the UFC itself has broadcast contracts with the streaming service in international markets. White claimed nobody watches DAZN in the United States and dismissed promoters who work with the platform. Hearn suggested White may not even realize his own organization airs on DAZN abroad. "This is how much Dana's head is completely fallen off," Hearn said.

Garcia most recently fought Mario Barrios at welterweight in February. Benn remains unsigned to a specific fight date as Zuffa navigates the legal tangle around Garcia.

Original reporting:

• mmafighting.com — Eddie Hearn reveals DAZN sent Dana White cease-and-desist over Ryan Garcia vs. Conor Benn talks | MMA Fighting