This past weekend at the Zuffa Boxing 3 post-fight presser, Dana White took aim at his rival boxing promoters.
The UFC CEO responded to Eddie Hearn’s earlier criticism of Zuffa’s newly unveiled championship belt, which will be up for grabs at Zuffa Boxing 4 when Jai Opetaia and Brandon Glanton clash for the inaugural Zuffa Boxing World Cruiserweight title.
Hearn was not pleased after White decided to stage the aforementioned bout outside traditional sanctioning bodies. Reacting to Zuffa Boxing’s new championship structure, the Matchroom boss told iFL TV:
That is the cringiest shit I’ve ever seen… Do you think I would disrespect boxing that much where I would say, we are going to bring out the Matchroom Boxing World championship?”
Check out Eddie Hearn’s comments below:
Dana White Rips Eddie Hearn, Brings Up Nepotism and Family Ties
Dana White reacted to Eddie Hearn not being happy with Zuffa’s newly unveiled championship belt. While responding to Hearn’s previous criticisms, White questioned what real innovations the former has brought to boxing over the years, other than staying in the business and playing by all the rules with no vision of his own:
I saw Eddie Hearn saying the belt is cringey and all this stuff. I don’t think anybody looks at Eddie Hearn and says, ‘Oh, this guy’s a visionary.’ The guy’s been in boxing forever. I look at him like most politicians. You’ve done nothing in the sport except stay in the lane and play by all the rules. You ended up becoming part of the problem, is what happened.”
White added that Hearn lacks vision as a promoter and pointed out that he works under his father, Barry Hearn, who is the founder and president of Matchroom Sport.
I don’t want to sit here and smash Eddie Hearn or anything, but Eddie Hearn works for his dad. He works for dad, and I don’t think he’s come in and ever had any type of vision, whereas we do.”
Dana White also added that Zuffa boxing is soon going to take over and be the next big thing:
And we’re going to change the entire sport. I understand the people who are the status quo in boxing don’t like it. But it doesn’t mean they can’t still do their thing. If your thing is as good as you think it is, and you are as good as you think you are, then do your thing. Good luck to you. I’m going to do my thing, and they’re going to do theirs.”
Check out Dana White’s comments below (12:37):
