UFC CEO Dana White is willing to get physical with Eddie Hearn if the boxing promoter wants to do so.
The beef between the two fight promoters has reached new heights in recent weeks after the launch of Zuffa Boxing. Hearn and White had been cordial in the past, but once the UFC promoter entered the boxing world, things rapidly changed.
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After the third event of the new promotion at the Meta APEX in Las Vegas, White declared that competing against boxing promoters was like “beating up babies.” Hearn voiced criticism of Zuffa Boxing’s new title, labeling it the “cringiest sh*t” he’s ever seen.
The back-and-forth has heated up since, reaching a boiling point when White and Turki Alalshikh signed Conor Benn to Zuffa Boxing, one of Hearn’s biggest names previously under the Matchroom Boxing banner. It was a move that blindsided Hearn. However, in what appears to be an act of retaliation, Hearn signed a representation deal with UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall, who has been sidelined with an eye injury.
In an interview with Piers Morgan, White was asked if he would step into the ring to fight Hearn to settle their differences.
“First of all, we’re both too old,” White said. “That would have to be like a Jake Paul Netflix card – or we could both fight Jake Paul. We’re in his age bracket of guys he likes to fight.”
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White, 56, is 10 years older than Hearn. While the UFC promoter entertained the idea, he put the ball back in Hearn’s court.
“Listen, if Eddie wants to box, we can box,” White said. “I don’t think Eddie wants to box. … Back in the day, I used to box with all the guys. Boxers and UFC guys. I have boxed.”
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: ‘We can box’: Dana White entertains idea of fighting Eddie Hearn
