In a recent interview with Ariel Helwani, prominent boxing promoter Eddie Hearn made waves with his controversial comments about the UFC and MMA, sparking debate among combat sports fans.
Hearn, who promotes some of boxing’s biggest stars, claimed that boxing is currently dominating the combat sports landscape. “Boxing’s on fire right now. It’s controlling all the narrative digitally across social media on a far different level to MMA and UFC right now,” Hearn stated.
The Matchroom Boxing chairman went further by referring to MMA as a “poor relative” to boxing, suggesting the UFC product has grown stale. “It’s a poor relative. But it’s not the fault, really, what’s happening. I’m sure people will feel like they could have done some things different. It’s just a bit tired, isn’t it?”
Perhaps most provocatively, Hearn admitted he would struggle to name prominent UFC fighters. “If you said to me now, name me six UFC superstars. I couldn’t do it. I could give you the ones that seem to keep losing quite a bit and then just come back.”
Hearn also criticized the UFC’s promotional approach, suggesting they prioritize their corporate brand over individual fighter stardom. “The problem is with UFC, they always want the brand to be bigger, their brand to be bigger than that of the fighter. And when a star like Conor McGregor comes around, everything changes. And I don’t think they really like that.”
The promoter finished with a bold claim about his promotional abilities compared to UFC executives: “Call me deluded or whatever. But those guys, in my opinion, won’t be able to lace my boots in boxing promotion. Now, as a business, as an organization, as UFC, unbelievable, but this is different.”
Hearn’s comments come during a period when boxing has seen several high-profile events, including recent stadium shows in the UK. However, many fans on social media were quick to dispute his claims, with some pointing out that superstars like Jon Jones, Alex Pereira, Islam Makhachev, Ilia Topuria, and Sean O’Malley maintain significant followings.
Others criticized Hearn for unnecessarily comparing the two sports, with one user commenting, “This guy is hurting boxing by always comparing the sports. It’s apples and oranges. Not the same. Both can be great and successful.”
The debate highlights the ongoing rivalry between boxing and MMA for combat sports supremacy, with passionate fans on both sides defending their preferred discipline.
