The war of words between Eddie Hearn and UFC CEO Dana White appears far from over.
Once upon a time, the Matchroom Boxing boss and White shared a cordial relationship, often speaking positively about one another in interviews. However, things changed when White and TKO made a serious move into boxing through the launch of Zuffa Boxing.
Since then, tensions between the two promoters have escalated, particularly over Zuffa Boxing’s reported push to reform the Muhammad Ali Act, a move that has drawn criticism from several figures in the boxing world, including Hearn.
Over the past several months, both men have traded verbal shots publicly. White recently claimed that Hearn benefited from the foundation built by his father, while Hearn responded by arguing that White’s success would not have been possible without the support of the Fertitta brothers.
Despite the back-and-forth, Eddie Hearn admits he is enjoying every minute of the rivalry.Speaking during a media scrum filmed by Seconds Out, Hearn compared his current feud with White to his long-running battles with veteran boxing promoter Frank Warren.
“I’ve got to be honest, this war that I’m in with Dana White, I find so enjoyable, and I missed it when I made friends with Frank Warren,” Hearn said.
“Because for 15 years, I battled with Warren. You see what’s going on now with me and Dana for six months? I did that for 15 years with Frank Warren, and let me tell you something now, Dana White can’t lace Frank Warren’s boots when it comes to having a war in boxing.”
“Frank knows every move. He knows every fighter. He knows every stroke that can be pulled. So, I’m really enjoying it.”
While some influential figures have attempted to ease tensions between the pair, Hearn appears to have little interest in reconciliation.
Reports suggest that Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority chairman, Turki Alalshikh, hopes to bring both men together and repair their relationship. However, Hearn says peace is not currently on his agenda.
“If you ask me, I don’t really want peace. I want war — but in a good way,” Hearn said.
The rivalry intensified again after White questioned UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall for signing with Hearn’s management company earlier this year.
White recently pointed to heavyweight boxer Anthony Joshua signing a commercial deal with CAA, suggesting it reflected poorly on Hearn’s talent agency business.
“I’ll tell you something funny, though,” White said after UFC Vegas 119.”AJ just signed with CAA for sponsorship and all that kind of stuff. Doesn’t Eddie Hearn have a talent agency? Isn’t that what he does?”
“Aspinall signs with Eddie Hearn, which is insane. AJ, who has been with him forever and they are probably best friends, signs with CAA.”
Hearn wasted little time firing back. In a post on Instagram, he accused White of misunderstanding how boxing operates.
“Promotion and management are separate in boxing. It’s illegal under the Muhammad Ali Act — you know, the one you’re trying to get abolished. Absolutely clueless,” Hearn wrote.
The disagreement over the Muhammad Ali Act remains one of the major sticking points between Eddie Hearn and White. Zuffa Boxing’s efforts to change the legislation have divided opinion throughout the boxing industry and further fueled tensions between the rival promoters.
Meanwhile, Hearn revealed that he is currently in France holding meetings regarding Aspinall’s future. Following his recent interim heavyweight title victory, Ciryl Gane called for a title unification bout against Aspinall in France, an idea White has reportedly shown interest in pursuing.
For now, the feud between Eddie Hearn and Dana White shows no signs of cooling off. In fact, if Hearn is to be believed, he’s enjoying the fight just as much as any bout taking place inside the ring.
