Eddie Hearn Set to Meet Dana White Ahead of AJ vs Fury Clash

Promoter Eddie Hearn has confirmed that he will hold talks with representatives from Zuffa Boxing, including Dana White himself, this Wednesday in Los Angeles.

The meeting comes after months of public claims from White insisting he will promote the highly anticipated showdown between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua, scheduled for December 11. The combat sports boss maintains he is spearheading the event on behalf of Saudi adviser Turki Alalshikh. Hearn, who represents Joshua, has stood firm, stating that a specific clause in the former champion's contract prohibits any involvement from White.

Earlier this week, US media reported that official British Boxing Board of Control filings list Matchroom Boxing, Queensberry Promotions, and Sela as the sole registered organisers of the bout, with neither Zuffa nor White appearing in the records.

Despite missing the launch press conference, White doubled down on his stance, asserting that he is actively involved in both the promotion and television production of the mega-fight.

"To be honest, I think he's completely confused," Hearn said. "He announced they are handling the TV production, which is once again contractually prohibited. I spoke with Sela and asked if they had seen his remarks. They told me it was completely untrue and that I was completely right—he has no right to do that under the terms of the contract."

"You almost have to give him credit for the audacity and for not backing down, even when things aren't in his favour. Zuffa want to meet in Los Angeles, and I'll most likely go," the promoter added.

Hearn expected White to attend the sit-down in person, though the UFC chief downplayed the prospect during his latest Contender Series press conference.

Addressing the objective of the upcoming discussions, Hearn clarified:

"The meeting could serve to clear the air. Without sounding arrogant, there is no way they are involved in this fight unless Anthony and I allow it. They clearly want to be part of it, Turki Alalshikh wants them involved, and so does Netflix. I understand it—it's great for the promotion. I'm not totally against it, but I want to know what the benefit is for us. Once we establish that, we'll make a decision."

Hearn added that he is not looking for an apology from White regarding his verbal jabs over recent weeks.

"He hasn't said anything personally offensive about me, so I don't expect an apology. Right now, they're in checkmate, but I have no desire to fight this battle for the next ten weeks. I'm simply protecting our legal position. If they genuinely want to be involved, let's sit down and negotiate," Hearn said.

Despite the public friction, the Matchroom chief remains optimistic about the outcome: "I believe we can reach an understanding. What they should have done was hold a press conference, acknowledge the contractual reality, take a step back, and agree to sit down with Matchroom, myself, and Turki Alalshikh to map out a way forward. That was the right approach, but he chose not to take it."