Hearn rips 'clueless' White's claims over Joshua-Fury bout - ESPN

Matchroom Sport chairman Eddie Hearn fired back at UFC CEO Dana White on Thursday, calling him «absolutely clueless» and vehemently denying White's recent claim that he will be the lead promoter for the highly anticipated showdown between heavyweights Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury.

White, who also is the founder of Zuffa Boxing, made the claim at a news conference Saturday, saying that Hearn has no hand in negotiating the contracts for the Joshua-Fury bout. White went on to say that he knows where the fight will take place even though no announcement has been made.

«Call Eddie right now and ask him where the fight is,» White said at the news conference. «Call Eddie and ask who negotiated the contract for the fight. It wasn't him.»

Hearn, who promotes Joshua, told ESPN on Thursday that White's claims were bizarre and reeked of desperation. The two have publicly feuded since White launched Zuffa Boxing earlier this year.

«His boxing business is so dead that he's trying to find a way to be relevant and part of the biggest fight in boxing, which is Joshua vs. Fury,» Hearn told ESPN. «I negotiated the fight contract three months with SELA and Turki Alalshikh. Dana White has no clue what is in that contract. No. 1, Dana White, TKO, Zuffa can have no promotional involvement in that show at all. He also doesn't know about the other clause that was put in the contract that says Anthony Joshua vs. Tyson Fury must take place in the UK.»

Though no date or venue have been announced for the Joshua-Fury fight, Hearn told ESPN that it would take place in November at a venue in the United Kingdom, most likely Wembley Stadium, as long as both fighters get past their next opponents. Joshua faces Kristian Prenga on July 25 and Fury is