Dana White has been booted from Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury’s first official press conference following a rocky promotional dispute that nearly derailed their long-awaited heavyweight showdown.
The boxing rivals are scheduled to meet face to face today in London ahead of their December 11 fight at Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales. However, the UFC boss will be noticeably absent from the stage.
Joshua’s longtime promoter, Eddie Hearn, maintains that his fighter’s contract prohibits White from promoting the event. White disagrees, arguing that restrictions involving Zuffa Boxing and TKO do not exclude him personally.
Hearn, Frank Warren and Fury’s manager, Spencer Brown, are expected to handle promotional duties instead. The disagreement became so heated that Fury publicly questioned whether the fight would happen.
Eddie Hearn just went off after Dana White posted the official Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua announcement
— Happy Punch (@HappyPunch) September 24, 2026
“Dana White CANNOT be involved in this fight. Netflix clearly didn’t get the memo… You silly soppy tit. You’ve lost mate. Give it up, son. I’ll be speaking with Netflix… pic.twitter.com/zxfRcua6sK
“Anthony Joshua and Eddie Hearn are trying to pull out of this fight,” Fury claimed over the weekend.
Another obstacle involved drug testing. Joshua reportedly refused to leave Dubai until Fury enrolled in the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association testing program. Fury subsequently completed the required paperwork, clearing the way for today’s appearance.
The former heavyweight champions have spent years discussing a potential meeting without ever sharing a professional ring.
Their December clash is set to stream globally on Netflix.