The all-British Tyson Fury vs. Anthony Joshua showdown might well be 2026’s biggest fight, but another battle has been slowly brewing for quite some time, one involving two of combat sports’ biggest promoters, Dana White and Eddie Hearn.
Now, with Fury vs. Joshua inching closer to its December showdown, White’s absence from Wednesday’s pre-fight press conference was fascinating, to say the least. Especially with his Zuffa Boxing partner Turki Alalshikh in attendance, the UFC CEO’s decision to stay away naturally raised some questions.
So, why did White skip the event? Well, the UFC CEO has now provided an answer. And if that wasn’t enough, one of Hearn’s fighters may have inadvertently dropped an intriguing hint about a potential White appearance in Birmingham.
Dana White Explains His Absence From Fury vs. Joshua Presser
For all the noise surrounding White’s involvement in Fury vs. Joshua, his reason for missing the first press conference was actually rather simple. The UFC head honcho was not in London for Wednesday’s event because he had other business to take care of back in Las Vegas.
Specifically, White was committed to the Contender Series, which held its latest event on Tuesday night. Speaking to the press after the DWCS show, the 57-year-old made it clear that his absence was not connected to the ongoing questions surrounding his role in the heavyweight blockbuster.
He said, “I would have been there if I didn’t have the Contender Series.” In hindsight, however, that explanation does little to settle the bigger question surrounding his involvement in Fury vs. Joshua.
“EVERYTHING I HAVE BEEN SAYING IS THE TRUTH”
Dana White reveals THE REAL REASON he won’t be at the Fury vs Joshua press conference today and discusses the issues that at one point looked like they were going to put the fight in serious jeopardy 👀
🎬 @UFC #FuryJoshua |… pic.twitter.com/bp70MqMcm5
— IFL TV (@IFLTV) September 30, 2026
Netflix previously announced White and Turki Alalshikh’s Zuffa Boxing among the promotional forces behind the December 11 event at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium. But that announcement did not go down quietly, particularly with Joshua’s Matchroom Boxing promoter Hearn repeatedly questioning the American’s role in the fight.
White maintained that there is no uncertainty from his side. “There’s no confusion whatsoever,” he said when asked about his involvement.
And that is where things become interesting. White may have missed the launch press conference, but his absence did not mean his name disappeared from the event. In fact, the UFC CEO was still very much part of the conversation, and one of Hearn’s own fighters may have just added another layer to the already developing story.
Ben Whittaker Hints at Dana White Appearance in Birmingham
While White was explaining why he could not make it to London, Ben Whittaker was preparing for a fight of his own.
The British prospect is scheduled to face Conor Wallace in Birmingham on Saturday, October 3, on a card promoted by Hearn. During a recent appearance on Ariel Helwani’s show, Whittaker suggested there could be a familiar American face watching from ringside.
“I heard Dana might be there to watch the fight, maybe,” the 29-year-old light heavyweight told Helwani. “That’s what I heard. I’ve just got a little inkling that he might be there, but I might be told otherwise.”
Taking things further up a notch, Whittaker, who is currently signed with Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing, claimed that he had received messages from people connected to Zuffa Boxing. And interestingly enough, his manager had apparently received similar approaches.
“They’re coming to me by the looks of it,” Whittaker said. “I had numerous messages, and my manager has had numerous messages.” Whittaker even joked about where White could sit if he does turn up, saying, “Hopefully they don’t put (Dana) in the nosebleeds and they get him a nice little ringside seat.”
Whether White actually makes the trip across the Atlantic is ultimately up to him. Still, the possibility of him showing up at a fight promoted by his rival, featuring one of Hearn’s own fighters, would certainly up the ante even further.
Fury vs. Joshua Crowd Makes Feelings on Dana White Clear
If White’s absence from the press conference was supposed to keep the focus entirely on Fury and Joshua, it did not quite work out that way. His name still made its way into the room. During the event, Alalshikh thanked a number of the people involved with the promotion, including TKO president Nick Khan, who was seated alongside him. The Saudi General Entertainment Authority Chairman also thanked White despite the UFC CEO being absent from the event.
The response from the British crowd was immediate and hostile, with boos ringing through the arena as White’s name was mentioned. Alalshikh then turned toward the crowd and made it clear that their reaction was their own, while Hearn, who was on stage, had a cheeky grin spread across his face.
“This is between you and them, not me,” he said. If that wasn’t enough, White was not introduced as one of the promoters by Michael Buffer at the beginning of the event, which begs the question of just how much involvement he will have in the Fury-Joshua promotion.
Kishore R is a boxing journalist at NYFights with over three years of experience in sports journalism, having penned more than 2,500 articles. His love for the sweet science began when highlights of the 1989 Fight of the Year clash between Roberto Durán and Iran Barkley first caught his eye, an introduction that left him permanently hooked on the sport’s controlled violence.
While boxing remains his first love, Kishore is deeply passionate about MMA, which he has covered extensively during his time at The SportsRush and MMA Sucka. A devoted student of combat sports for nearly a decade and a half, he brings an advanced understanding of technical nuance and pairs it with a strong instinct for storytelling.
“Manos de Piedra,” Marvin Hagler, Manny Pacquiao, Joe Frazier, and Gennadiy Golovkin rank among his favorite fighters. Given the choice to travel to any era, he would gladly return to the 1980s, when “The Four Kings” defined boxing through technical brilliance and timeless rivalries.
