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British promoter Eddie Hearn has sharply criticized UFC president Dana White’s decision to stage the first world title fight under his new boxing venture, Zuffa Boxing.
Speaking to iFL TV, Hearn said he was stunned by the idea of creating a new “world title” outside the framework of boxing’s traditional sanctioning bodies.
“I’ve never seen such audacity in my life,” Hearn said. “When I read about the fight between Jai Opetaia and Brandon Glanton for the Zuffa world title, I laughed and thought, ‘Well, I could do that too.’ Why not announce an iFL title as well?”
According to Hearn, such a move reflects excessive ego and a lack of respect for boxing’s long-standing traditions.
“I’m not going to create my own belt and go around amateur gyms saying, ‘If you want to be a real champion, you have to win the Matchroom Boxing World Championship.’ That’s ridiculous,” he added.
Hearn emphasized that true legitimacy in boxing comes from the established sanctioning bodies — the WBC, WBA, IBF, and WBO — whose titles have been won by legends such as Muhammad Ali, Sugar Ray Leonard, Mike Tyson, Roberto Durán, and Floyd Mayweather.
Meanwhile, the bout between Jai Opetaia and Brandon Glanton is scheduled for the night of March 7–8 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Opetaia has held the IBF cruiserweight title for several years, but official promotional materials focus on the Zuffa and The Ring titles, the latter also linked to Saudi investor Turki Alalshikh.
The clash between boxing’s traditional power structure and Dana White’s new project appears to be escalating — and Hearn’s comments suggest the promotional battle has already begun.
