In a dramatic shift of power at the top of international combat sports, UFC chief Dana White appears to have wrested control of the supporting bill for the mega-fight between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua away from his long-time promotional rival, Matchroom Boxing chairman Eddie Hearn.
As the December 11 heavyweight blockbuster at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium draws near, White has positioned fighters connected to his emerging Zuffa Boxing outfit front and center on the event’s main broadcast. Meanwhile, Hearn has taken a public step back, openly distancing himself and Matchroom from the composition of the main undercard and making it clear that he had no hand in putting the bouts together.
The takeover marks the culmination of months of intense public squabbling between the two high-profile executives over who would ultimately direct and promote the massive show in Wales. Despite Hearn’s repeated insistence that existing contractual frameworks would prevent White and the TKO Group from commanding the event, White now has two Zuffa-linked competitors firmly entrenched on the main card. With White personally driving the fight announcements across major media networks, the promotional hierarchy for one of the biggest nights in modern boxing history has been fundamentally reshaped.
The main supporting card at the Principality Stadium is set to feature a four-fight lineup anchored by the long-awaited main event between Fury and Joshua. Positioned directly beneath the headliner as the chief support is an intriguing cross-divisional clash between cruiserweight king Jai Opetaia and former heavyweight world champion Deontay Wilder.
Adding further Zuffa flavor to the broadcast, rising TKO heavyweight prospect Da’Mazion Vanhouter will step up to face Michael Essomba. Completing the four-fight main bill is another heavyweight collision featuring Martin Bakole against Solomon Adebayo.
White took a hands-on approach to revealing the card to the public. The UFC CEO personally broke the news of the Opetaia versus Wilder matchup before making a live appearance on Sky Sports to officially confirm Vanhouter’s addition to the event. The high-visibility announcements signaled to the boxing world that White had effectively assumed the role of lead architect for the main undercard, leaving Hearn and Matchroom sidelined from the primary broadcast decisions.
Dana White and Eddie Hearn Feud
The battle for control of the Fury vs. Joshua card is the latest chapter in an escalating feud between White and Hearn that has captivated the combat sports industry for months. World Boxing News heavily documented the friction between the two promoters, detailing how Hearn repeatedly pushed back against White’s claims that he was taking charge of the spectacle.
Throughout the early stages of the event’s planning, Hearn maintained that multi-party contractual agreements protected Matchroom’s authority and strictly limited White and TKO from asserting operational command. Hearn argued that the complex promotional web governing big-time boxing would keep traditional handlers at the wheel.
White, however, refused to back down from his stance. The MMA mogul publicly insisted that he would not only be physically present in Cardiff for the event, but that he intended to actively promote and produce the show under his vision.
Evidence of White’s growing leverage surfaced well before the official undercard reveal. Official promotional documentation circulated for the event included White’s name as a central figure, despite ongoing objections from the Matchroom camp. Furthermore, White was the sole promoter quoted in official press materials distributed for the event announcement, providing an early indication that the balance of authority was tipping decisively toward the Zuffa head.
The tension highlighted a broader clash of promotional philosophies. Hearn, representing the traditional boxing promotional structure, has long operated through co-promotional agreements and regional market strategies. White, backed by the sprawling sports enterprise of TKO, brought the centralized, executive-led promotional style of the UFC straight into boxing’s biggest arena.
Hearn Distances Himself
Faced with an undercard dominated by White’s influence, Hearn made no effort to hide his dissatisfaction when addressing the UK sports media following the announcement of the main supporting line-up. When directly questioned by reporters about his personal involvement in constructing the main undercard bouts, Hearn delivered a sharp response.
“Thankfully, none at all, judging by the quality of it,” Hearn stated candidly.
The Matchroom chairman confirmed that while he expects his company to have one or perhaps two fighters featured on the untelevised preliminary portion of the event, he was completely uninvolved in assembling the high-profile main broadcast matchups. Hearn offered a mixed review of the fight card White assembled, offering praise for the chief support bout while leveling harsh criticism at the rest of the main supporting lineup.
While Hearn acknowledged that pairing Opetaia against Wilder represented a compelling and intriguing stylistic matchup for fight fans, he pulled no punches regarding the remaining televised slots. Hearn publicly questioned the logic of elevating the heavyweight contest between Vanhouter and Essomba, as well as the matchup between Bakole and Adebayo, onto the main broadcast of a global pay-per-view stadium event. In Hearn’s view, those televised slots could have been utilized to build a far more marketable and high-octane spectacle.
A Glaring Omission
Central to Hearn’s critique of White’s match-making was the notable exclusion of local talent from the Welsh capital. Hearn pointed out what he viewed as a glaring omission from the Cardiff show: former two-time world champion Joe Cordina.
As one of the most prominent active Welsh boxers, Cordina appeared to be a natural fit for a massive stadium event taking place in his home nation. Hearn revealed that Matchroom had made efforts to secure a blockbuster undercard spot for Cordina, specifically pursuing a dream matchup against legendary multi-division world champion Manny Pacquiao. However, those negotiations failed to yield a confirmed fight, leaving Cordina off the bill entirely.
Hearn argued that a traditional boxing promotion would have prioritized a stronger domestic and British presence on the card. By overlooking regional fan favorites like Cordina in favor of internationally focused TKO prospects, Hearn suggested that the organizers missed an opportunity to deliver maximum value to the local UK fans who had shelled out money for tickets to fill Principality Stadium.
The stark contrast in approach underscores the dynamic currently governing the event. Matchroom retains an official association with the promotion alongside Saudi entity Sela and Frank Warren’s Queensberry Promotions. However, after spending months arguing that White could not legally or operationally take charge of the event, Hearn now finds himself on the outside looking in regarding the broadcast lineup.
As the December 11 date approaches, the reality on the ground in Cardiff reflects White’s vision. With two Zuffa-linked fighters featured in major televised bouts and White serving as the primary media spokesman for the supporting bill, the UFC boss appears to have successfully executed his entry into top-tier boxing promotion, leaving Hearn to make sure the public knows the decisions were not his.
About the Author
Phil Jay is the Editor-in-Chief of World Boxing News (WBN), a BWAA-acknowledged boxing news website founded in 2010. A veteran boxing reporter with 16 years of experience, he has interviewed world champions, broken international exclusives, and reported ringside from major events. His work is published worldwide through WBN and distributed on platforms including Apple News.
