Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua are gearing up for a fight on Dec. 11 in Cardiff, Wales but it feels like UFC CEO Dana White and Matchroom Boxing’s Eddie Hearn are ready to throw down as well.
The constant back-and-forth between the promoters has continued to escalate in recent days after the deal for Fury vs. Joshua was finalized. Hearn has insisted that White will have nothing to do with the fight whatsoever while the UFC boss recently claimed that his team is actually running the production for the live broadcast, which is airing on Netflix.
During a press conference on Saturday, Hearn effectively laughed at the idea that the UFC would be running the show in December.
“To be honest with you at this point, I think he’s completely cooked,” Hearn said about White. “What he actually said was ‘we are doing the TV production,’ which again in the contract is prohibited. I wasn’t going to drop that video by the way, I actually started to feel bad for him. I woke up to all that and I just dropped the video.
“After that video, I spoke to SELA and I said ‘have you seen this video?’ They said ‘yes, and it’s completely untrue.’ He cannot do that under the contract. I actually admire him because rather than going ‘listen, fair play, Hearn’s had me by the short and curlies.’ No, he just won’t give up. I quite respect it and admire it because the front on him is unbelievable.”
The video Hearn released was basically a compilation of comments that White made in the past about the fight and it showed the veteran promoter was keeping receipts through this whole ordeal.
Hearn doubled down that White isn’t involved in the event after he held a separate conversation with SELA — the Saudi Arabian based company funding the event.
“I went to SELA and they confirmed in writing absolute bollocks,” Hearn told IFL.tv. “I’m like this guy has absolutely lost the plot.”
For his part, White didn’t fan the flames any more than he already has in the past by reiterating that his team is running the production for the broadcast on Netflix.
Beyond that, White didn’t seem interested in another rage-filled tirade aimed at Hearn with the fight still two months away.
“I will be there,” White said at the UFC 332 post-fight press conference. “We’re producing the show. Just like Canelo-Crawford, same thing. Craig Borsari, Zach, my whole team. We will be producing the show. I’ll have my little phone on the table just like tonight and every other show that I produce.
“I’ll be there. I’m producing it. I’m promoting it. I’ll see you in Wales.”
