Eddie Hearn calls Zuffa boxing shows “absolute dogs**t”

Matchroom promoter Eddie Hearn criticizes the quality of Zuffa’s early boxing events, questioning their current level compared to established promotions

Eddie Hearn didn’t hold back when assessing Zuffa’s first foray into the boxing world. The Matchroom chairman took a direct shot at the quality of these early shows, claiming they fall well short of the bar set by the sport’s veteran promoters. His comments come as a blunt rebuttal to recent claims from UFC CEO Dana White, who is now trying to plant the Zuffa flag in a brand new ring.

Promoter reaction

“When you compare Matchroom shows to Zuffa shows, quite frankly, Zuffa shows are absolute complete dogs**t,” Hearn said while speaking to The Stomping Ground.

Zuffa is trying to port its UFC dominance into the boxing world, but the transition has been anything but smooth. After decades of ruling MMA, White’s new venture is now stepping directly onto the toes of established powerhouses like Matchroom.

Hearn isn’t impressed by what he’s seen so far. He argues that Zuffa’s early cards lack the polish of a professional boxing production, missing the elite contenders and world-title stakes that fans expect. For Hearn, you can’t just buy your way into the sport; it takes years of navigating the trenches of the boxing business to actually deliver a product worth watching.

“They’re going to get better, and they’re going to sign some big fighters and spend some money and waste some money,” Hearn said. “I’ve said it before, they’re clever people, but right now they’re trying to manipulate fight fans, and they don’t understand how intelligent fight fans are when it comes to boxing.”

White wants to tear up the boxing blueprint and replace it with the same Zuffa machine that dominated MMA for over twenty years. This expansion is a direct shot at the traditional promotional model that has ruled the sport for decades.

As the head of Matchroom, Hearn has spent years building a global empire and isn’t about to let a newcomer move in without a fight. Zuffa is still in its infancy in the boxing world, but its first few steps have already triggered a massive response from the industry’s established powers.

Hearn’s verbal broadside makes one thing clear: the honeymoon period for Zuffa is over before it even really started.