Eddie Hearn Blasts Dana White’s Zuffa Boxing Championship, Calls It “Cringiest S**t I’ve Ever Seen.”
Since Dana White entered professional boxing as a promoter, Eddie Hearn has consistently criticized the UFC CEO publicly. Their rivalry has intensified recently, producing entertaining exchanges as both promoters trade verbal shots during interviews and press events.
White officially announced that Zuffa Boxing will crown its first world champion on March 8, 2026. The cruiserweight title fight will headline the event, signaling White’s serious intentions within the boxing landscape. Jai Opetaia will face Brandon Glanton under the Zuffa Boxing banner for the inaugural championship.
However, Opetaia’s recognized IBF and Ring Magazine belts will not be defended in this particular matchup. In a recent interview with IFL TV, Hearn went on an explosive rant, mocking White’s idea of creating new promotional titles.
“That is the cringiest s**t I’ve ever seen. You know I would never do that, but I was just laughing because I was reading about, whenever it is, Jai Opetaia fighting Brandon Glanton for the Zuffa championship of the world, and I was thinking, ‘Do you know what? I could just do that.’ That would be quite amusing. Why don’t we do an iFL one as well?”
Similar to Dana White, Eddie Hearn has spent most of his life around boxing, following his father Barry Hearn, who founded Matchroom Boxing in 1982. Matchroom has fighters who have captured world titles across major sanctioning bodies. He believes creating a separate promotional championship belt system is unnecessary.
“Do you think I would disrespect boxing that much, where I would say we are going to bring out the Matchroom Boxing World Championship? You’d have to be — I mean, my ego is out of control, right? That would have to be beyond anything I could ever fathom,” Eddie Hearn continued.
Previously, White has addressed Hearn’s animosity towards him and mentioned that he didn’t expect this welcome. On the other hand, the British promoter is ready for the challenge and believes he’s the biggest boxing promoter in the history of the sport.
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Boxing legend criticises Dana White’s Zuffa Boxing
Zuffa Boxing, backed by TKO Group Holdings and Saudi Arabia’s Sela, represents Dana White’s bold attempt to reshape professional boxing globally. The promotion aims to create a UFC-style structure with centralized events, exclusive contracts, and its own championship system.
By bypassing traditional sanctioning bodies like the WBC, WBA, and IBF, White seeks to eliminate fragmented titles. White claims he is here to save boxing, promising transparency, consistency, and the best fighting the best. However, his ambitious statements have sparked backlash from critics, including former champion Roy Jones Jr.
“Your guys in the UFC and make more money in boxing in one night than they make their whole career in the UFC. That’s a problem! Balance the problem in your sport and make my sport better! But don’t go and take my sport and do the same to do with your sport,” Roy Jones Jr via Fight Hub TV.
In the inaugural Zuffa Boxing bout between Canelo Alvarez and Terence Crawford, the Mexican star reportedly earned over $100 million. According to Eddie Hearn, UFC fighters could revolt over lower fight purses compared to the massive payouts of Dana White’s boxing venture.
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