Dana White has produced his latest explosive response to questions about his involvement in Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua after Eddie Hearn was included in the UFC’s latest production claim.
Hearn and his Matchroom Boxing organization are promoting Joshua, while Frank Warren represents Fury but White – backed by Saudi champion Turki Alalshikh – and the Zuffa Boxing diamond stable are involved in the production of the heavyweight fight to be broadcast on Netflix.
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Hearn and White have been at loggerheads since the beginning of the process, with White suggesting that he pulled out of the deal for the fight at Madison Square Garden in New York before it was finally confirmed for Cardiff’s Principality Stadium, and the Matchroom boss now continues to reiterate any White requests for induction into production or promotion against contractual obligations.
White has already been involved in a viral interaction with a journalist during a press conference following his major decision victory over Michael Pirotton’s Johnny Fisher, which focused on the recent Zuffa Boxing card in London, with the UFC president harshly telling a British reporter “you know what you’re capable of” during the “War of Britain”.
Dana White was technical about the issues surrounding Tyson Fury’s involvement with Anthony Joshua (Getty).
But after Tuesday night’s edition of Contender Series, White lost it again to a reporter who launched a similar line of questioning about Hearn’s appearance. Show Ariel Helwani.
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Asked if the UFC would indeed bring production to the fight, he replied: “It’s done.”
Then Brutus: “Are they my cousins now? Is he talking about AJ and Furia? That’s all. Who gives a ***?
“I mean, was I wrong in anything I said? Nothing. I’m carrying the fight. I’m promoting the fight. I’ll be there for the fight. And then I’m flying to Vegas for the UFC fight right back, and all my producers and the guys who run the production will fly with me.
“We already had a meeting. Yesterday was a f***ing meeting. I mean, this is so f***ing stupid right now, and the fact that you guys are even asking me these questions…
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“And if Ariel Helwani, however long it is, talks about me? Why? Why am I the main subject?
“AJ and Fury are fighting. Those two are gonna make af***ton money. The fight is finally happening. And everything I said about my fight in the fight is true. Anyone want to argue?”
Hearn has continually contested White’s suggestion that he has no wrongdoing in the matter, telling reporters in a press conference last week for Joshua: “The arrogance of saying, ‘Tell me what I said is false.’ Number one, you said the fight is in America. Number two, you said you’re a supporter. And number three, you said you’re talking about the venue and you know where the fight is. You’re all wrong.”
Hearn also criticized White for missing a press conference in London, which he claimed was due to his commitment to attend a UFC Contender Series event the day before.
Hearn criticized White for dropping a press conference in London last week (PA)
Brutus defended his opinion and denied that he had contracted it at the press conference.
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“It would be weird if Dana White didn’t show up for the Dana Contender Series on Tuesday,” he said. “I didn’t miss ten years anyway, and then I had a press conference to fight” [UFC 332] in Utah
“The day we had was a day because the Turks wanted to be in a press conference. There is no confusion at all.”