Dana White to Hearn: “Where Have You Been for the Last 20 Years?”

UFC President and head of TKO Boxing Promotions and Zuffa Boxing, Dana White, responded to Matchroom Boxing CEO Eddie Hearn.

Earlier, Hearn had sharply criticized White and Turki Al Al-Sheikh for attempting to introduce changes to the Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act, as well as for launching their own championship belt while disregarding existing sanctioning bodies.

“Eddie Hearn is acting like a lunatic. He sounds like he’s reading a WWE script every time he does an interview. It’s just unbelievable.

He sounds silly and stupid. And he’s not even good at it. I’ve known Eddie a long time — this isn’t him.

And here’s another thing: when I hear him talk, it’s like listening to a career politician. Like he’s campaigning: ‘We’re going to change this, we’ll do that.’ But he won’t do anything! Where have you been the last 20 years?

You did nothing. And now that I’m stepping into the game, is he going to change boxing, fix it, reform it, compete with me? I don’t even think about guys like him. I just work hard and do what I do. Let’s see where we are in five years,” White said on the 3 Knockdown Rule podcast.

Hearn did not stay silent and issued a response, suggesting that White’s outburst showed vulnerability.

“I’ve never read a script in my life, and no one tells me what to say. I was a bit concerned by what I saw from Dana, because I respect him and didn’t expect him to act like that. I watched the interview and thought, ‘This is over before it even started.’ How loud are you trying to scream?

Suddenly I saw anger and tension in him. He claims we’re not a threat, but he’s already losing control — and this is before things even begin. For me, this is nothing new. The difference between me and Dana is that I’ve been at war with Frank Warren, Bob Arum, and Oscar De La Hoya for 15 years. For me, this is like riding a bike.

His interview had signals that made me think: ‘Wow, this might even be easier than I expected.’ This battle is going to be interesting,” Hearn said.