October 1, 2026, 5:10 p.m. ET
For months, Dana White has vehemently stated that he would promote Tyson Fury vs. Anthony Joshua, but that is not the case – at least not officially.
For now.
On Thursday, the British Boxing Board of Control (BBBOC), which regulates the fight, confirmed to Boxing Scene the promoters of the event streaming on Netflix on December 11 at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales. In the official documents are Sela, Matchroom Boxing and Queensberry Promotions – with no mention of White or Zuffa Boxing.
White, not Zuffa Boxing, was specifically named in Netflix’s September 24 press release announcing the fight. This caused a stir and put the fight in jeopardy as Matchroom’s Eddie Hearn, who has publicly feuded with White for a year, stood firm that the contracts signed by Joshua and Fury stipulated that neither White nor Zuffa Boxing could promote the fight. White’s involvement was the wish of his business partner, Turki Al-Sheikh, who is funding the event.
White is also backed by Fury, who revealed White was the reason his four-year US ban was lifted after the UFC boss spoke to President Donald Trump on his behalf. Fury had been barred from entering the country due to his past links to alleged Irish crime boss Daniel Kinahan, who was wanted by US authorities before his April arrest in Dubai.
Has Dana White been permanently kicked out of the Fury vs. Joshua promotion?
According to Boxing Scene, White may still have the opportunity to promote Fury vs Joshua because, under BBBOC regulations, a UK licensee is required to promote an event that they regulate. Director of BBBOC
Robert Smith said on Thursday that Saudi-headquartered Sela had not appointed a UK licensee. Smith added that “discussions are ongoing” about Sela’s decision.
Zuffa Boxing had not yet applied to be involved as of Thursday, Smith confirmed.
Dana White’s continued Fury vs. Joshua claims called into question
White’s insistence that he would promote Fury vs. Joshua kicked into high gear in June when he entered the equation by boasting that he knew the fight would take place at New York’s Madison Square Garden, the venue he wanted, while dismissing Hearn’s involvement in the negotiations.
“Look what happens over the next 30 days,” White said then after a Zuffa Boxing event. “Do you think I would lie publicly and then look like a fucking idiot in front of everyone. What would be the point of that?”
Hearn always wanted the confrontation between the British to take place in the United Kingdom.
As recently as last Tuesday, White continued to claim he was promoting the fight. At the Fury vs. Joshua kickoff press conference on Wednesday, which White did not attend, he was not mentioned by Michael Buffer, as Buffer read the names of people and entities promoting the fight.
The mere mention of White’s name drew loud boos from the crowd when Al-Sheikh thanked him on the microphone.
Gn sports
