Eddie Hearn accepts Dana White boxing challenge. The rivalry between boxing promoter Eddie Hearn and UFC CEO Dana White has intensified in recent weeks, with both men exchanging words over fighter signings and even discussing the possibility of settling their dispute in the boxing ring.
Hearn, the chairman of Matchroom Boxing, recently suggested that more UFC fighters could soon join his growing talent roster. The comments come shortly after UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall signed a commercial advisory deal with Hearn’s company. And this move escalated the ongoing tension between the boxing promoter and the UFC boss.
“Of course I’d do it, because how could you say no?” Hearn told IFL TV. “Then you’d be a pussy, wouldn’t you? And by the way, Netflix would pay an absolute fortune, or live on DAZN, the global home of boxing. So, I’d probably make a fortune, and if I got chinned, I’ll get chinned. But I’ll probably spark him out, to be fair.”
The feud began heating up following White’s entry into the boxing world through Zuffa Boxing, a venture backed by TKO Group and Saudi partners. The promotion recently secured a lucrative one-fight deal with British boxer Conor Benn, who had long been promoted by Hearn. The move was reportedly worth around $15 million, sparking criticism from Hearn and fueling a public war of words between the two executives. For Hearn, though, this entire thing is not about a personal vendetta or a feud with White. The Matchroom CEO says he signed Tom Aspinall because he views it as a good business opportunity.
“People say, ‘You just did this to spite Dana White, blah, blah, blah.’ No, I did this because I got the opportunity to sign one of the biggest stars in combat sports,” Hearn said. “But the timing meant that the volume and the power of that announcement would be absolutely catastrophic for people. “So, basically, what happened was, now, in 24 hours, Tom Aspinall’s profile is, by far, bigger than it’s ever been in his entire career, and that is coming off being chastised by people who have spun a narrative of him which is not true.
“The agency stuff just makes perfect sense. We’ve been talking about it for years. Me and AJ are starting to move into football. And I look at it, and I think, I know sport inside out. I know how to deal with brands, I know how to drive profile, I know how to deal with broadcasters, I know how to spin narrative, I know how to deal with PR and media, I know how to drive sponsorship sales. I know what’s in the pot for every major event. So, really, we’re incredibly well placed in that space. So actually, that’s a natural progression.”
Hearn said he understood that announcing the signing would naturally attract a lot of attention because of his ongoing feud with Dana White. He even suggested to Aspinall that they could delay the announcement until things cooled down. However, Aspinall preferred to go ahead with it while the momentum and interest were still high.
Despite the headlines the move generated, Hearn emphasized that he has no plans to turn the situation into a hostile relationship with the UFC.
“We’re both, them especially, huge organizations,” Hearn said. “I’m not an idiot. And we will do everything professionally. But we will do everything in the best interest of Tom Aspinall. It’s not like we’re going to come in and be a massive pain in the ass. We’re just going to drive this guy’s profile. It’s probably good for the UFC. Because already what’s happened, I’ve done a little bit of a job for them, because their fighter his profile is bigger than it’s ever been. And I did that in f*cking 16 hours. …
“This isn’t about busting out of a UFC contract. We know where we stand. I have the contracts. Our team will read them, and we will make sure we deal with them, but we have an obligation, and that’s not a problem at all. You want to have sensible conversations to make sure that what we’re doing with him and the value of Tom Aspinall is respected. Will he go into boxing one day? Maybe. But that’s not the focus at the moment.”
And Hearn isn’t stopping here. After making the announcement, Hearn says that several high-profile UFC fighters reached out to him to ask about representation. And, of course, Francis Ngannou just got released from his PFL contract and may be interested as well.
“I think we’ll probably reach out to Francis,” Hearn said. “I’ve had — I wouldn’t say a dozen, but I’ve had over half a dozen, quite big-name UFC fighters contact me in the last 12 hours. And I’m not going to sign all of them, but they’re fascinated by this, because they feel like they’re not getting what they deserve, and that will be the job of the agency to do that.”
While a fight between the two promoters is unlikely to happen, the exchange highlights the growing rivalry between the UFC’s expanding boxing ambitions and traditional boxing promoters like Hearn. With both sides actively signing fighters and trading verbal jabs, the battle for influence in combat sports may only be getting started.
