Overview
- At Saturday post-fight press conferences in Liverpool and Winnipeg, Eddie Hearn accused Dana White of backing out of a proposed boxing match, and White blasted Hearn and boxing’s state without directly denying the claim.
- Dismissing the matchup as unserious, White said he and Hearn do not deserve to share a card with “real fighters,” called Hearn a “bum,” and argued that talk of their bout being boxing’s biggest event shows what is wrong with the sport.
- Hearn has pitched the novelty fight as a commercial hit, saying it could sell out London’s O2 and top one million global pay-per-view buys, with payouts he has suggested could reach about $30 million each.
- Separately, Hearn said he is in legal conversations over Conor Benn’s quick move to a new Zuffa Boxing deal after a reported one-fight arrangement tied to the Regis Prograis bout, saying he wants clarity on how that agreement was handled.
- The rivalry heated up after White launched Zuffa Boxing and signed Benn, while Hearn moved to represent UFC champion Tom Aspinall, and even UFC lightweight Paddy Pimblett weighed in by backing White to win yet calling the fight unlikely.