Matchroom chairman says Dana White’s rise has not yet done enough to justify praise following his first UK event

Eddie Hearn has objected to the praise surrounding the first Zuffa Boxing event in Bournemouth, UK. The Matchroom chairman questioned the reaction to Dana White’s promotion and argued that one successful night was not enough to gauge his long-term impact on boxing.

While many fans hailed Chris Billam-Smith’s stoppage victory over Ryan Rozicki and Cheavon Clarke’s victory over Jack Massey as the highlight fights of the night, Hearn suggested that the overall card did not justify some of the hype surrounding Zuffa Boxing’s arrival in the UK.

“I heard Chev Clarke won. Billam-Smith, that guy [Rozicki] he retired to the stool. Was it a decent fight?” Hearn told iFL TV. “Ben Shalom’s performances are the next level for Zuffa.

“In boxing, they don’t know what they’re talking about. They have absolutely no idea about the sport, but they are powerful and they go out of their way,” Hearn said.

Hearn responded after being told about White’s comments during the post-fight press conference. The Matchroom chairman questioned whether one successful evening would be enough to validate claims about Zuffa Boxing’s future in the sport.

The Bournemouth card produced two widely praised fights featuring Billam-Smith-Rozicki and Clarke-Massey, but also featured several quick stoppages and one-sided fights that left some fans divided on the overall quality of the event.

“We are all looking forward to the assessment of our work in a few months, because guess what? July will be here soon.

“Wait until you see a body of work stretching throughout the year.

“It’s just lies, lies, lies, lies, lies, lies. That’s all,” Hearn said.

Olly Campbell is a boxing journalist covering this sport since 2014, providing reports from the ring and technical analyzes of the most critical fights. His work focuses on fighter tendencies, tactical adjustments and the details that shape high-level competition.

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Last update: 2026/06/07 at 3:02

Teddy Atlas pointed out one major factor that could make Dmitry Bivol too much of a risk for David Benavidez.

Their potential uncontested clash could come later this year or early next year, although both featherlight heavyweight champions are equally considering alternative options.

Considering Bivol just defended his IBF, WBO and WBA titles against Michael Eifert, it seems there is a lot of interest in the Artur Beterbiev trilogy in Russia.

Beterbiev won their first meeting by majority decision in October 2024, while Bivol won the undisputed crown by the same margin in the rematch the following February.

Therefore, it would make sense for the pair to go into the fight at the distance, potentially leaving Benavidez at 200 pounds in pursuit of more titles.

The “Mexican Monster” dethroned Gilberto Ramirez after a sixth-round stoppage last month he became a three-division world champion, winning the WBO and WBA cruiserweight titles.

He has since become the mandatory challenger to WBC cruiserweight champion Noel Mikaelian, while still holding his green and gold belt at 175 pounds.

Had Atlas won, Benavidez would have been aiming for a three-belt unification fight in his current weight class, rather than making the same mistake Roy Jones Jr made in his illustrious career.

I keep talking his YouTube channelthe Hall of Fame trainer explained the danger of losing weight after acclimating to the above division.

“The only thing that worries me is this [with Benavidez] weight gain and loss. Example: Roy Jones Jr.

“When he came upstairs [to fight] John Ruiz won this version of the heavyweight title and then came back, he was never the same. He got older, but he was never the same.

“[If] you gain weight and then you have to lose it – [Benavidez] This can be done, but it may be a problem.

For pound-for-pound legend Jones, his bold decision to re-join the 175-pound weight class ultimately led to his second-round loss to Antonio Tarver.

Dana White used his post-fight press conference after Zuffa Boxing 07 in Bournemouth, England, on Saturday, June 6, 2026, to escalate his feud with Matchroom’s Eddie Hearn, hours after a rival promoter filed a lawsuit to block the card and as the promotion confirmed further expansion. The main attraction of the Zuffa Boxing gala on British soil was Chris Billam-Smith, who defeated Ryan Rozicki by technical knockout in the seventh round.

White renews his feud with Hearn

Much of the question-and-answer session focused on Hearn, who earlier this week said he intended to prevent UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall from competing until the fighter’s contract was renegotiated. Aspinall is represented by Hearn’s Matchroom talent agency.

“He said he wanted to [Aspinall] fired, right? Then release Bam Rodriguez. Sounds pretty stupid, right? “Congratulations Eddie, you sound stupid again,” White said, referring to Matchroom player Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez. Regarding the prospect of forcing the champion back into the cage, White added: “You can’t force anyone to fight. You have to want to fight.”

White also revisited Conor Benn’s departure from Matchroom. “Eddie Hearn is full of s***. He didn’t even pay his best friend Conor Benn,” White said. He continued: “Eddie, who apparently Benn was his best friend, was crying, literally crying for weeks. He didn’t even want to pay him, but he wants to pay my guy. He could pay his best friend and they could stay best friends.”

Benn left Matchroom for Zuffa Boxing earlier this year for $15 million. Hearn said he lent Benn money over the years, citing figures including £250,000 for a house and a £300,000 down payment towards his fight purse, which Benn disputes.

White further addressed the Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury negotiations, challenging reporters in comments captured by talkSPORT Boxing: “You think I would lie and look like a fucking idiot? Call Eddie Hearn now and ask who negotiated the AJ-Fury fight.” He did not elaborate on the nature of his role.

BOXXER seeks a court order

The press conference followed a legal complaint filed on the eve of the charter. BOXXER, the promotion company headed by Ben Shalom, is seeking an emergency injunction from the English courts against Zuffa Boxing and Sky Sports, maintaining that Billam-Smith and the inexperienced Sam Hickey remain bound by their contract with BOXXER.

“BOXXER can confirm that it is seeking an urgent injunction against Zuffa Boxing and Sky Sports in relation to the promotion and the proposed participation of fighters who remain subject to binding contractual obligations to BOXXER,” the company said in a statement. Zuffa Boxing does not accept the complaint and continues the event as planned, according to Yahoo Sports.

In April, Billam-Smith signed a multi-fight deal with Zuffa Boxing. He said that his contract with BOXXER expires at the end of 2025, while BOXXER claims that he has the right to match any offer made to him. BOXXER claims that when Hickey announced his move in May, he was under a long-term contract. BOXXER and Sky Sports had a four-year broadcasting deal which expired in June 2025; Sky Sports did not renew and instead signed deals with Zuffa Boxing and Jake Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions.

The expansion continues

Zuffa Boxing confirmed further dates as the dispute unfolds. Her first gala in Ireland, announced as Zuffa Boxing 10, will take place on August 8 at the 3Arena in Dublin. White said the organization plans to stage at least five events a year in the UK under a multi-year deal with Sky Sports and its roster continues, with recent signings including junior welterweight champion Shakur Stevenson, a move Hearn confirmed, not a promotion.

Zuffa Boxing 07 aired on Sky Sports in the UK and Ireland and streamed live on Paramount+ in the US and Canada.