Dana White, the President of the UFC, continues to claim a central role in promoting the anticipated heavyweight clash between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua, despite fierce pushback from several key industry figures.
During a Zuffa Boxing press conference in Bournemouth on June 6, 2026, White doubled down on his previous assertions, suggesting he holds intimate knowledge of the deal that promoters Eddie Hearn and Frank Warren have dismissed as non-existent.
The dispute centers on who will lead one of the most lucrative events in combat sports history. White told a livestream audience earlier this year that he would be promoting the fight, a sentiment he reiterated by questioning why he would go public if his involvement weren’t genuine.
He further claimed that Eddie Hearn, Anthony Joshua’s long-time promoter, was not the individual who negotiated the actual contract for the heavyweight contest.
The Fury-Joshua bout penciled in for late 2026 is reportedly backed by Saudi Arabia’s boxing chief, Turki Alalshikh. While White hints at an official announcement within the next month, the current promotional landscape remains fractured by legal threats and contractual disputes that could complicate the road to the ring.
Promoters dismiss Dana White’s involvement as contractual impossibility
Frank Warren, the founder of Queensberry Promotions and Tyson Fury’s representative, has spared no words in his rebuttal of White’s claims. Warren characterized the UFC head’s comments as total fabrication, stating that Fury’s contract explicitly forbids Zuffa Boxing or its affiliates from participating in the promotion. “Well, he’s not,” Warren remarked firmly when asked about White’s supposed involvement.
The friction between the camps is deep-seated, as Warren reportedly initiated a $1 billion lawsuit against TKO and Sela earlier this year. The dispute stems from the formation of Zuffa Boxing, with Warren claiming he was sidelined from a venture he was originally intended to join. This legal backdrop makes any collaboration between Queensberry and White’s new boxing arm highly unlikely under current terms.
Eddie Hearn has been equally scathing, branding White a “clout chaser” on social media. Hearn insists that the contracts signed for the fight specifically name himself, Frank Warren, Spencer Brown, and Turki Alalshikh as the sole operators. According to Hearn, the agreement includes clauses stating the fight cannot take place if Zuffa, TKO, or any associated persons are involved in the show’s production.
Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury prepare for separate summer bouts
While the promoters argue over the fine print, the fighters themselves remain active. Anthony Joshua is currently scheduled to return to the ring on July 25, 2026, in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. He will face Kristian Prenga in a bout seen as a necessary stay-busy fight before the potential undisputed showdown occurs late in the year.
Just as Anthony Joshua dismisses other distractions to focus on his own career path, he appears focused solely on the task in Saudi Arabia.
Tyson Fury has not yet announced an opponent for his next outing, though he is expected to fight once more before facing Joshua. Reports from Ring Magazine suggest that both fighters have already signed their respective contracts for the December showdown. Despite the animosity between the promotional teams, the athletes seem aligned on finally settling their rivalry in the ring after years of failed negotiations.
And yet, the location of the fight remains a point of contention. While there have been rumors of the event moving to the United States to accommodate a global audience, Hearn has frequently stated that the contract specifically mandates the fight take place in the United Kingdom.
If the deal holds, it is expected to stream live globally on Netflix, marking a significant shift in sports broadcasting.
Zuffa Boxing and the influence of Saudi Arabia’s boxing chief
The wild card in this promotional power struggle is Turki Alalshikh. As the Saudi boxing chief, Alalshikh has a working relationship with Dana White, having collaborated on the launch of Zuffa Boxing. White previously promoted the Canelo Alvarez vs. Terence Crawford event in September 2025 under Alalshikh’s banner, which serves as the primary precedent for his current claims.
Other fighters have kept a close watch on these heavyweight developments as they navigate their own ranks. For instance, Shakur Stevenson has dismissed immediate shifts in weight classes or high-profile bouts to ensure his own stability, much like Fury and Joshua are doing by taking interim fights.
The outcome of the Fury-Joshua saga will likely dictate the financial flow of the entire sport for 2026 and 2027.
Ultimately, the “next 30 days” that White alluded to in early June will be critical. If an announcement arrives that includes the UFC brand, it would signal a total capitulation by the traditional British promoters. If not, White’s claims may go down as an ambitious attempt to muscle into a territory that Warren and Hearn are determined to defend at any cost.
