Eddie Hearn says Dana White got ‘slapped’ by Turki Alalshikh on two separate occasions, and the UFC boss is now acting like a sore-bottomed employee. Speaking in New York before the Ennis vs. Zayas boxing fight, Hearn didn’t mince words about White’s attempt to claim he was promoting the Anthony Joshua-Tyson Fury showdown.
Zuffa Scrubbed Dana White’s Promoter Claims After Turki’s Slap, Says Eddie Hearn
“After the Bournemouth show [White] went up [at the press conference], when he was getting all zasty, and basically Zuffa posted all of his comments [about Joshua-Fury],” Hearn said, “He got his bum smacked by Turki Alalshikh and they had to delete all of their messages about him saying he’s promoting the event. So embarrassing.”
That was bum slap number one. Zuffa’s social team scrubbed White’s claims overnight. Then came the second slap. Hearn pointed to Fury’s trip to Washington, D.C., for a UFC event at the White House. “Dana White wants to come out and say he’s promoting Tyson Fury,” Hearn said. “Next thing, bum slap. Then all of a sudden [Fury] is posting that ‘my promoter is Turki Alalshikh’.”
Fury’s own tweet confirmed the shift. “After the Bournemouth press conference,” Hearn continued, “the bum is sore, the bum is raw.” He didn’t stop there. “At the end of the day, Dana White has got to do whatever Turki Alalshikh tells him to do because, guess what, Turki Alalshikh, Sela, Saudis, they own Zuffa Boxing. So, Dana is just an employee, he’s got to do what he’s told.” Hearn added, “[White’s] head has fallen off, he can’t deal with this kind of stuff. Fair play to Dana, he’s a competitor; he’s very stubborn; he will try to find a way now to get involved.”
White’s claim that he knew the date, location, and would be the promoter came after Zuffa Boxing’s Bournemouth show on June 6. But nothing’s locked yet. Joshua must clear his July 25 bout with Kristian Prenga. Fury’s warm-up fight isn’t set. The Joshua-Fury date and venue remain up in the air. Netflix will have a huge say on timing. And there’s a twist: DAZN has exclusive broadcast deals with both Queensberry and Matchroom, so neither can promote a Netflix event. Another blocker: both Joshua and Fury’s contracts say Zuffa can’t be the lead promoter.
Hearn’s stance on the U.S. location is clear. “If you want to do a new deal, yes, we’re open to offers,” he said. “But I know what it says in our [existing] deal. We’ll talk to Turki Alalshikh and see what he wants to do.” Joshua’s contract currently requires the fight to happen in the UK. “For the Joshua-Fury fight to happen in America… his charge’s contract will have to be renegotiated,” Hearn explained.
White tried to pivot after the D.C. event. He was photographed with Zuffa’s CEO at the White House, and an alliance with Fury was teased. The next day, Fury declared Alalshikh was his promoter. Hearn called the White House event “unbelievable,” but dunked on White’s promotional claim anyway.
The Joshua-Fury fight is still dominated by headlines, but the practical problems stack up. No date, no venue, no Netflix deal, and Zuffa barred from leading. Hearn’s message is blunt: White doesn’t run this. Turki Alalshikh does. “Dana is just an employee,” Hearn added. “He’s got to do what he’s told.” [H/t BoxingScene]
