Dana White treated Madison Square Garden as the frontrunner to host Tyson Fury versus Anthony Joshua while dismissing Eddie Hearn’s bid to keep the fight in the United Kingdom.
Reporters told the UFC boss that Friday, November 20, had been targeted for the Manhattan event. Rather than showing surprise at the date or venue, he responded with an evasive smirk.
“If that’s what the word is, then that must be it,” White said during the Dana White’s Contender Series press conference.
His demeanor suggested an insider keeping quiet about an announcement reserved for Netflix, TKO or the fighters.
One reporter then referred to White as one of the event’s promoters. The description drew a sarcastic response and no explanation of his role.
“You might want to ask the promoters of the fight. What, I thought you were promoting? Oh, am I promoting the fight? Okay, I’m not going to play these games with these [expletive] guys. You know what I mean? Let’s see what happens.”
Once Hearn was brought into the discussion, the evasiveness disappeared. The Matchroom chairman insists Joshua signed for a fight in the United Kingdom and has discussed possible legal action if Madison Square Garden was approached without authorization.
No answer came on the contractual question. Instead, Hearn received a personal attack.
“I stopped listening to Eddie Hearn about three months ago. Is there anybody more full of [expletive] than this guy? Come on. Completely full of [expletive].”
The insult does nothing to settle the contract dispute. TKO may favor Madison Square Garden, but Joshua’s approval would still be required if his agreement guarantees a British location.
A Friday night event in New York suits Netflix by placing Fury-Joshua in American primetime without competing directly against Saturday college football or Sunday NFL games. British supporters would receive an early-morning main event instead of the stadium occasion they expected for years.
Taken together, White’s responses identify New York as TKO’s preferred location. Hearn must now demonstrate that Joshua’s agreement gives Matchroom enough contractual power to keep the fight in Britain.
