Dana White Refuses to Deny Withdrawal from £60 Million Eddie Hearn Boxing Match
UFC CEO Dana White has hinted at rejecting a highly publicised boxing match with British promoter Eddie Hearn, a bout that was initially agreed upon to settle their ongoing feud. The potential fight, which Hearn estimated could be worth £30 million for each participant, appears to be in jeopardy after White's recent comments.
Escalating Feud Between Promoter and UFC Chief
The conflict between Eddie Hearn and Dana White intensified this year following White's expansion into the boxing industry. Both men had seemingly committed to resolving their differences in the ring, but Hearn now claims that White has reneged on his agreement. In a fiery statement, Hearn challenged White's commitment, accusing him of backing out after initially calling for the fight.
"So you called me out for a fight, I accepted," Hearn declared. "Listen, if I'm a coward, then come show me I'm a coward. Now he's going, 'I'm 57 years old.' No, you told me I wouldn't do it and I'm a coward, so what are you? An old coward? I know the numbers. I know the business. The only thing that can stop the fight from happening is Dana White, coward. So really, the truth of the matter is, he's backing out of the fight he called on. So who's the coward now?"
Hearn's Accusations and Financial Projections
Hearn further criticised White's reluctance, questioning his courage and highlighting the commercial potential of the match. He argued that the event could headline a major stadium and achieve over a million global pay-per-view buys, making it a lucrative venture. However, Hearn expressed pessimism about the fight materialising, attributing the obstacle solely to White's withdrawal.
"Where's your balls gone? You can't keep calling me a coward when you call me out for a fight and I accept the fight and you go, 'Oh, no. We're bums. It would go earlier on in the fight.' What is that? We would main event and sell out a massive stadium. You don't think we could do over a million buys globally? Like I said, it will probably just be fantasy because, unfortunately, Dana White backed out of the fight," Hearn added.
White's Response and Avoidance of Denial
In response, Dana White took aim at Hearn but notably avoided denying that he had pulled out of the proposed fight. White dismissed Hearn's claims as foolish and criticised the boxing industry's focus on such a matchup.
"Eddie says a lot of dumb stuff. I’m getting used to it," White stated. "Eddie said that me vs him was the biggest fight in boxing, and there lies the problem with boxing. And the fact that a fight promoter who has actually put on big fights and has a stable of good fighters would say something that stupid is shocking. You’re a coward. I’m old. We don’t even deserve to be on a card with real fighters."
White's comments, while defensive, did not explicitly confirm or deny his withdrawal, leaving the status of the £60 million fight uncertain. This exchange underscores the deepening rift between two prominent figures in combat sports, with financial stakes and personal pride at the forefront of their dispute.
