Tyson Fury has opened up about why Dana White is involved in the highly anticipated boxing match against Anthony Joshua. For months, there has been ongoing debate among boxing promoters about the timing and location of the Fury vs. Joshua fight. UFC President Dana White expressed his willingness to help make the bout happen, while Matchroom’s Eddie Hearn maintained that White was contractually barred from participating in the promotion.
Scheduled for December 11 at Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales, the fight will be streamed on Netflix. According to the official announcement, Turki Alalshikh’s The Ring and Dana White will jointly promote the event. Notably, Eddie Hearn, who manages Joshua through Matchroom Boxing, and Fury’s affiliations with Frank Warren and Queensberry Promotions were not mentioned, prompting Hearn to criticize the confusing promotion process.
Fury commented on the situation during an appearance on FurociTV, saying, “After all Eddie Hearn’s complaining, and us wanting the fight in England to keep Dana White out, it’s now been announced by Ring that Dana White and Ring are promoting the fight. How crazy is that?”
Though White and Hearn have clashed often recently, it seems White has come out on top this time. Fury explained why, revealing that Joshua’s contract reportedly included clauses barring involvement from TKO and Dana White, but Fury removed similar restrictions from his own contract to allow White to participate. “I took it out so he could be involved. Screw them. I want Dana involved. Two bald guys together—I like Dana. He’s a great businessman and a good guy who built the UFC from nothing to a billion-dollar enterprise. I believe he can do great things in boxing and maybe even push Eddie Hearn out,” Fury said.
Fury also stressed that he holds no personal grudges against Hearn, acknowledging that Hearn is simply promoting his opponent. He pointed out that the numerous changes to the fight’s location and date over the past few months were all agreed upon by him, but the ongoing promoter drama is frustrating.
According to Fury, “It was all in Turki’s and Netflix’s hands from the start regarding where and when to host the fight. This isn’t really about Eddie Hearn, Frank Warren, Dana White, Matchroom, or Sky—it’s about me and Joshua. The promoters keep claiming credit, but maybe they should fight each other on fight night while we watch and take our cut. Eddie Hearn isn’t putting his life on the line. Frank Warren isn’t risking his life. Me and Anthony Joshua are risking ours. We both have licenses to do damage in that ring.”
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Tyson Fury makes stunning reveal on Dana White promoting Anthony Joshua fight.
Fan Take: This revelation highlights Dana White’s growing influence beyond MMA and into boxing, signaling potential shifts in how major boxing events are promoted and produced. For fight fans, it promises a new era of partnerships that might bring bigger audiences and more crossover appeal to both sports.
Source: sports.yahoo.com
