Dana White has been warned by Eddie Hearn that he just has four weeks to avoid a dud first event for his new boxing league.
The renowned boxing boss used to be thick as thieves with UFC CEO White, but the pair’s relationship has hit a rocky patch as they prepare to do battle as boxing promoters. And Hearn has noted that for all his bluster, the MMA supremo must deliver a big show to kick off Zuffa Boxing properly.
However, it appears that White has a more lowkey affair planned, with official documents leaking the intent for there to be an event at the UFC Apex. This venue is wildly controversial for a lack of atmosphere in the MMA world, and fight nights held there are generally believed to be unwatchable.
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Eddie Hearn warns Dana White he must avoid ‘lame’ Zuffa Boxing launch
Dana White is bringing the new Zuffa Boxing league to Paramount+ next month, and will launch it with a show at the Apex that coincides with the first UFC fight week of the year. And Eddie Hearn feels he is heading towards a dud, with less than a month now to go until fight night.
“They are very bullish, like me,” Hearn told Ariel Helwani when asked about Nick Khan, the TKO Group boss, dismissing him in interviews. “They’re arrogant and they think they’re going to come in and dominate boxing.
“But it’s not going to happen. Haven’t they got a show on January 23? That’s their first show, right? It’s a month away. So I’ve got no idea. You’ve got to come out of the blocks with a bang, you can’t come out with something lame.
“What are you going to do, do a show in the Apex to launch TKO Boxing? It’s got to be a monster and with four weeks to go how much of a monster can it be? As I’ve said before, these guys that we’re up against, I want to be up against them.
“Whether we are product-wise, we’ll see very soon but they’re very good, they’re very smart and they’re very connected. Boxing’s boxing. I just can’t explain it and if they come out weak on January 23, everybody is waiting to give them an absolute shillacking.
“So many people in boxing want them to fail and I don’t think they will fail. But if they get it wrong and it stinks the place out in January? The worst thing they could do is come out with something…
2025-12-23 17:00:00
