The extent of Dana White’s involvement in the Anthony Joshua vs. Tyson Fury heavyweight showdown was twofold, the Zuffa Boxing boss has revealed.
“We did the television deal and the venue deal,” White admitted on Saturday following UFC 330.
The saga has been rolling for much of the last decade and intensified this year with contracts reportedly signed for a late-2026 bout. White previously stated he was a key figure in at last bringing the two British heavyweight rivals together.
However, the fight is yet to be agreed by all parties with one of White’s responsibilities in brokering a deal proving the major sticking point.
BoxingScene has long understood that Joshua, 30-4 (27 KOs), signed a contract to face Fury, 36-2-1 (25 KOs), in the UK. That shouldn’t be a surprise considering both Joshua, 36, and Fury, 38, are British and predominantly built their careers in front of paying fans in Britain.
Fury, however, did not stipulate for the bout to take place in Britain.
Moreover, financier Turki Alalshikh and Netflix, who will stream the contest should it happen, are understood to want it to take place in America.
New York, specifically Madison Square Garden, is believed to have been agreed as the host by everyone bar Joshua and Eddie Hearn. They remain keen for the bout to occur on home soil.
“They’ve [Team Joshua] got their contract, Tyson’s got his agreement, which states something different,” Frank Warren, Fury’s promoter, last week told BoxNation.
“The fight will happen. I’ve heard what Eddie’s said and they’re either going to agree to it [taking place in the US] or not.
“If they don’t agree to it, the fight won’t happen.”
White, like plenty of observers, is growing weary from the uncertainty.
“Listen, this fucking saga, we’ll see how this whole thing plays out. I mean, they either want to fight or they don’t,” White said.
“To make a fight, two guys have to want to fight. Period. End of story.
“Contracts and this and that, there’s a lot of fucking money for grabs in this fight. Do you want to fight or do you not want to fight? I don’t give a shit one way or the other.”
“Listen, I don’t give a shit. Do you want to fight or do you not want to fight?”
“The fight should have happened 10 years ago. Is it going to happen now? We’ll see.”
