There’s little doubt that Dana White’s move into boxing has caused a major rift between him and Eddie Hearn.
When the UFC president first made it clear he was planning to stick around in boxing for the long haul, Hearn didn’t hold back. He let it be known right away that he wasn’t exactly rolling out the welcome mat.
That took some people by surprise, given that the two have generally had a good rapport over the years. They’ve worked together on various occasions and seemed to get along just fine.
But with White now in charge of Zuffa Boxing, tensions have clearly started to build. And when White recently unveiled his plans for Zuffa Boxing’s first title fight, Hearn didn’t waste any time criticising it.
Dana White’s move into boxing hasn’t won everyone over, especially Eddie Hearn, who had doubts from the start
Earlier this week, White confirmed that Jai Opetaia will headline Zuffa Boxing 4 against Brandon Glanton, with both the Ring Magazine and IBF world cruiserweight titles on the line.
But there will be more than just those titles up for grabs. The event will also feature the debut of the Zuffa Boxing belt, as the promotion moves forward with plans to install a champion in every division.
That decision hasn’t gone down well with Hearn, who has voiced concerns about introducing a new title belt.
“Do you think I would disrespect boxing that much where I would bring out the Matchroom Boxing world championship?” Hearn told IFL TV.
He added: “My ego is out of control, but that’s beyond anything I could ever fathom.”
The 46-year-old went on to claim that Zuffa are disrespecting the history of boxing by going against the sanctioning bodies that have stood in place since the beginning of the sport.
Eddie Hearn and Dana White still may work together in the future
Even with their ongoing feud, there’s still a chance White and Hearn could team up for an event down the line.
Although White’s focus right now is on developing young talent, there’s little doubt he’ll want Zuffa Boxing to host major fights, which could mean collaborating with other promoters becomes necessary.
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