White On Fury-Joshua Saga: Fight Should Have Happened Years Ago

Dana White says the Tyson Fury vs. Anthony Joshua fight should have happened a decade ago.

The Zuffa Boxing chief told reporters after UFC 330 that he remains uncertain whether the long-anticipated heavyweight clash will ever materialise, per MMA Mania. The bout has stalled over a contract dispute, with Joshua's team insisting the fight take place in the UK while Saudi power broker Turki Alalshikh pushes for Madison Square Garden under Zuffa's banner.

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White Questions Whether Fighters Want The Fight

White was blunt when asked about the status of the matchup. "Listen, this saga, we'll see how this whole thing plays out," he said. "They either want to fight or they don't. I don't know." The UFC president noted he had no involvement in Joshua's original contract, only the Netflix and reported MSG agreements. "To make a fight, two guys have to want to fight. Period. End of story," White said. "There's a lot of money for grabs in this fight. Do you want to fight or do you not want to fight? I don't give a [expletive] one way or the other."

Joshua's promoter Eddie Hearn said earlier this week that his camp has Alalshikh's word in contract form that the fight will take place in Britain. Hearn told reporters the parties will either fight to the point of a contract breach or come to an agreement, noting they would not have signed the original deal if it called for an American venue.

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White closed by repeating his position: "The fight should have happened ten years ago, is it going to happen now? We'll see."

Reported via:

• MMA Mania — Dana White on Tyson Fury vs. Anthony Joshua saga: ‘This fight should have happened 10 years ago’