Two days after the announcement British boxing had waited a decade for, Dana White – the UFC president and Zuffa Boxing chief named as one of the figures promoting Tyson Fury against Anthony Joshua – was asked whether the fight would actually happen.
“I don’t know,” he said.
White was speaking at London’s Copper Box on Saturday, where British heavyweight Johnny Fisher beat Michael Pirotton on his Zuffa Boxing debut. But for much of the media in attendance another heavyweight fight dominated the evening.
Asked whether Wednesday’s scheduled Fury-Joshua news conference in London would take place, White added: “I have no idea.”
On Thursday, Fury and Joshua were officially announced to meet at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium on 11 December, live globally on Netflix. By Friday, that certainty had unravelled.
A dispute over who is entitled to promote the event led to claims of contractual breaches, talk of possible replacement fights and another flurry of cryptic social-media posts.
Even by boxing’s recent standards, the past 24 hours have been extraordinary – and not a particularly flattering look for the sport.
Netflix and Saudi powerbroker Turki Alalshikh’s fight announcement was striking for who it included – and who it did not. The event was presented as a collaboration involving Alalshikh’s The Ring and White.
There was no mention of Matchroom’s Eddie Hearn, who has promoted Joshua throughout his professional career, or Queensberry’s Frank Warren, Fury’s long-time promoter.
White’s involvement was not entirely unexpected.
The Zuffa Boxing promoter has been saying for weeks he would be involved in Fury-Joshua.
Hearn has been equally adamant he would not. After Thursday’s announcement, Hearn said Joshua’s contract specifically prevented White and American sports entertainment company TKO from having a promotional role, claiming Netflix had not been made aware of that provision.
Hearn said there had been breaches of the agreement which needed to be resolved and cast doubt on whether Wednesday’s news conference would go ahead.
Fury says a similar restriction originally appeared in his own contract but was removed because he wanted White involved.
Warren has taken a more pragmatic position. Speaking to BBC Sport before the latest dispute escalated, he said his understanding was White had helped secure the Netflix deal and compromises had been necessary to get the fight made.
On Saturday, White was generally non-committal on the future of the contest but much clearer in his criticism of Hearn. “The guy who is supposed to be helping the fight has been hurting the fight,” White said. “He hasn’t done the fight any favours.”
Reports emerged that Fury-Joshua could be in jeopardy and alternative fights for 11 December were being discussed, including Ryan Garcia against the recently retired three-weight undisputed champion Terence Crawford.
Crawford appeared as surprised as anyone, publicly questioning the suggestion he could be fighting Garcia.
Then Fury intervened.
In a video posted on social media, he claimed Joshua and Hearn were “trying to pull out” and blamed the dispute largely on Hearn’s objection to White.
