UFC president Dana White has expressed doubts about the proposed all-British heavyweight showdown between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua, citing an escalating row with Joshua's promoter, Eddie Hearn. The fight, scheduled for December 11 at Cardiff's Principality Stadium, has been thrown into doubt over its promotion. White, who runs Zuffa Boxing alongside Saudi boxing powerbroker Turki Alalshikh, has been positioned as the main promoter of the event.
White's involvement in the fight has been disputed by Hearn, who insists Joshua's agreement prevents White from being involved. "I don't know. The guy who is supposed to be helping the fight has been hurting the fight the entire time. He hasn't done the fight any favours," White said. He described the whole affair as a shambles and said much more would be known in the next three or four days.
Fury has also publicly criticised Hearn and Joshua, insisting he has agreed to everything required to make the contest happen. "There's nothing that I haven't agreed to. Nothing. I'll even tie concrete blocks to my boots to make this fight happen," Fury said. He credited Alalshikh and Netflix with financing the event and argued that Matchroom Boxing is not in a position to dictate its promotional arrangements.
The bout was announced last Thursday, ending years of failed negotiations, as a collaboration between Alalshikh's The Ring and White, and will be broadcast on Netflix. That arrangement has become the sticking point, with Hearn at odds with White for months. Hearn says White's involvement breaches their contract, while Fury accused Hearn and Joshua of trying to pull out of the fight.
Fury's promoter, Frank Warren, said White had been instrumental in securing the Netflix deal. The latest dispute comes just days before both fighters are expected to appear at a press conference in London on September 30, with fewer than 11 weeks left before the scheduled fight. Fury has suggested another opponent could be found if Joshua withdraws.
The fight has survived several false starts since 2020, when the two camps first agreed a two-fight deal. Contracts for an undisputed contest were signed in 2021, only for Deontay Wilder's arbitration case to force Fury into a third fight with the American. A 2022 attempt, in which Joshua accepted a 60-40 financial split, also collapsed before the pair finally signed for Cardiff earlier this year.
The dispute highlights the complexities of boxing promotions and contractual agreements. With the fight's future uncertain, fans and pundits alike will be watching closely to see if the bout goes ahead as planned. Key stakeholders will need to resolve their differences if the fight is to take place on December 11.
Key points
- The proposed heavyweight fight between Fury and Joshua is uncertain due to promotional disputes.
- UFC president Dana White and boxer Tyson Fury have cast doubt on the fight's occurrence.
- The fight's promotion and contractual disputes have been ongoing for months.
