Eddie Hearn has taken another shot at Dana White, questioning the UFC president’s recent political involvement while also addressing their ongoing tensions, UFC matchmaking, and his heated exchange with boxing journalist Mike Copinger.
Speaking to iFL TV, the Matchroom promoter focused on the confusion surrounding White and a potential White House press secretary position, suggesting President Donald Trump had mistakenly confused the UFC promoter with another Dana White who previously served as a press secretary at the Pentagon.
“Are we actually in a position where reading between the lines… President Trump has had a meeting with his people and someone in a meeting has gone, ‘Do you know who we need as the press secretary? Dana White,’” Hearn explained.
“They are referring to the Dana White, a lady who has also been a press secretary at the Pentagon for many years. The American president thinks they mean the UFC promoter.”
Hearn continued by describing how Trump allegedly went on social media to offer White the position, only for the situation to become even more awkward when the UFC president appeared open to considering it.
“The American president then goes on Twitter and goes, ‘Yeah, Dana White, come and take the job as press secretary.’ Like you can’t make this up. It’s not even the right Dana White. And then worse than that, Dana White’s going, ‘Yeah, you know, I’m going to really have to think about it.’ He said, ‘No, mate. It’s not you.’”
Hearn called the entire situation “the biggest car crash” and suggested it was another example of repeated embarrassing missteps.
He noted, “I don’t want to get too involved in that kind of stuff cuz that’s politics, but is this not the biggest car crash?”
“It’s like, mate, it’s like faux pas after faux pas after faux pas after faux pas,” he added.
Despite their recent back-and-forth, Hearn insisted his issues with White have never been personal and that he would not take things beyond professional disagreements. However, he questioned White’s apparent preference for settling their differences privately in a gym.
“It’s not personal. It will never be personal. I’ll never talk personally about it,” Hearn said. “Why would you want to do it in a gym when people would love to watch that?”
Hearn also revisited his confrontation with Mike Coppinger, expressing frustration after discovering that the boxing journalist was employed by Zuffa, the company behind White’s boxing ventures.
“I didn’t even know he was employed by Zuffa cuz I said that as a spinaway line. He went, ‘Yeah, Zuffa do pay me.’ I was like, ‘How can I have a debate with you about Zuffa? They pay you, you work for them.’”
Hearn defended his willingness to speak openly, suggesting that his straightforward approach has been central to his success in boxing.
“I don’t care. I’m going to tell you how it is. And haven’t I made a living out of that really?”
