Eddie Hearn blames Dana White’s ‘arrogance’ for nasty rhetoric in lead-up to Fury vs. Joshua: ‘They’re control freaks’

Promoter Eddie Hearn has attributed the heated rhetoric surrounding the upcoming Tyson Fury vs. Anthony Joshua showdown to Dana White's refusal to negotiate in good faith. The dispute centers on White's involvement in the December 11 bout, which is set to take place in Wales.

Hearn told The Stomping Ground that the nasty public exchanges between him and White—conducted through interviews and media appearances over recent months—could have been avoided through proper dialogue. He emphasized that he would have been willing to meet with White and Saudi financier Turki Alalshikh to discuss a potential role for the UFC president in the event, had White simply approached the conversation respectfully rather than attempting to breach existing contractual agreements.

"What you need to do is tell Dana White when he speaks just to say, 'I understand contractually we can't be involved in the event, however... what I'm going to do is sit down with Eddie and Turki and we'll talk about it,'" Hearn explained. "I probably would have had that meeting and just gone 'Sweet, we'll find a way.'"

Instead, Hearn believes White's partnership with Alalshikh emboldened him to attempt an aggressive takeover without negotiation. Hearn characterized White and his organization as "control freaks" unwilling to accept situations outside their direct influence. Despite the tension, White notably skipped Wednesday's press conference for the fight, prompting Hearn to declare a symbolic victory—though the two sides remain far from reconciliation. Hearn made clear that disrespect and contractual overreach will not be tolerated, regardless of White's standing in combat sports.