UFC CEO Dana White has dismissed Eddie Hearn’s repeated attempts to limit his role in the upcoming Tyson Fury vs. Anthony Joshua heavyweight showdown. White stated that he is already promoting the fight alongside Turki Alalshikh and claimed no one can stop him from being involved. The long-awaited all-British blockbuster is scheduled for December 11 at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium, with Netflix set to stream the event globally. The official announcement from Alalshikh’s The Ring named both The Ring and Dana White as promoters working with the Saudi chairman. The detail has sparked a public dispute with Hearn, who promotes Joshua through Matchroom.
Eddie Hearn and Dana White battle it out over the AJ-Fight Fury promotion
Eddie Hearn has argued for weeks that contractual terms on Joshua’s side prevent White and TKO (the parent company of the UFC and Zuffa Boxing) from being involved in the promotion. He has repeatedly told media outlets that White would not be part of the promotional tour and even suggested he would not appear at the first major press conference in London.
Speaking to Sky Sports News, Dana White responded with characteristic bluntness, “Eddie Hearn must spend 24 hours a day doing interviews. I mean, I’ve never seen a guy do more interviews in my life.” He then challenged the idea that Hearn had successfully sidelined him by moving the event to Cardiff.
“He thinks Netflix gives a s**t what Eddie Hearn thinks?” White said. “I’m not involved in the promotion of the fight? I’m sitting here promoting the fight right now. Who’s gonna stop me? What did I lose? What have I lost? I promise you I’ve lost nothing. I am not involved in either side of this thing. I’m involved on the Turki side.”
Tyson Fury claims he removed a “no Dana” clause
Tyson Fury has added another layer to the controversy, saying his original contract did include a clause barring Dana White and TKO from promoting the fight, but that he had it removed before signing.
Fury explained that the Saudis negotiate separately with each fighter, meaning his deal and Joshua’s do not have to mirror each other.
That account suggests Hearn may be technically correct about Joshua’s contract while Fury has deliberately created space for White on his side, allowing the UFC CEO to be named as a promoter on the Alalshikh/Ring side of the event.
What’s at stake beyond the contracts?
Beyond the legal fine print, the clash is also about influence and branding. Fury vs. Joshua is poised to be one of the major heavyweight fights of the year. Including global attention and significant revenue from broadcasting, sponsorship, and live gate.
For White, being visibly tied to the event reinforces his push into boxing through Zuffa and aligns him with Alalshikh’s growing portfolio of mega-events. As for Hearn, restricting White’s role is equally about safeguarding his own role as Joshua’s lead promoter and sustaining control over the narrative around the fight.