Dana White explains why he isn’t attending Fury vs Joshua press conference today | Football
Dana White has insisted he made the decision not to attend the Anthony Joshua vs Tyson Fury press conference in London today.
The two giants of British boxing are set to come face-to-face for the first time in the capital this evening ahead of their long-awaited showdown at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff on 11 December.
The press conference was in doubt after a chaotic weekend where the fight that took a decade to make fell into doubt once again just days after it was officially announced.
One of the hurdles was the presence of UFC and Zuffa Boxing chief White. When the fight was officially announced last week, it was described as a joint collaboration between White and Turki Alalshikh, the Saudi kingpin financing the show.
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Eddie Hearn has been adamant White cannot be involved in the promotion of the fight as per the terms of Joshua’s contract, however. The two have been embroiled in a vicious war of words but Hearn appears to have won this battle with White not making the trip over for today’s media event.
White insists his absence has nothing to do with his feud with Hearn, telling reporters on Tuesday it is because he is busy with the UFC Contender Series this week.
‘I would have been there if I didn’t have The Contender series,’ White said.
Asked why there is confusion over his involvement, he added: “There’s no confusion whatsoever. If you look at everything from the network to the guy who’s actually f*****g paying for it, and to me saying what I’ve said.
‘I mean, I’ve been saying it now, feels like for f*****g years, but it’s probably been weeks, but I’ve been saying the same thing.
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‘Everything that I’ve been saying is the truth, and why would I say it and double down, and triple down, and f*****g quadruple down if it wasn’t the case?
‘This isn’t a hesitation; this is an ego thing; a total ego thing. Boxing has taken a hit in the United States. It’s not as big as it was here 20 years ago.
‘It has become a very British sport, and all the s***t you’re hearing, and the crying, and the bitching is all coming from the UK.’
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