Eddie Hearn jokingly claimed he is “totally finished” now that UFC President Dana White has partnered with Turki Alsheikh in the boxing industry.
White and Alsheikh from Saudi Arabia have officially announced their widely anticipated joint venture into boxing.
This new boxing endeavor will be led by the TKO Group, which already owns UFC and WWE, marking their expansion into professional boxing.
Turki Alsheikh has been instrumental in revitalizing boxing over the past two years by investing heavily to organize high-profile fights.
His financial backing has even facilitated collaborations between rival promoters like Hearn and Frank Warren.
However, with White and Alsheikh joining forces, some fans online are suggesting that the established figures in boxing might soon become outdated.
When SunSport asked Hearn about this, he responded with a smile, saying: “Totally finished! Yes.”
He continued, “We had a business before Saudi Arabia, and we will continue to have one to some extent.”
“But we have enjoyed our involvement with Riyadh Season and His Excellency, it has been very beneficial for us, the sport, and our fighters, and we expect this to continue.”
The exact structure of TKO’s boxing league remains unclear, even to Hearn.
He mentioned, “I’ve known about it for probably over six months, waiting for an announcement, but I don’t really know the format.”
“I saw some strong statements in the press release about unifying belts and so on, but we’ll see how it unfolds.”
TKO has announced plans to stage “four major super-fights” in both 2025 and 2026, alongside developing emerging boxing talent.
After recent collaborations with competitors, Hearn indicated he is open to working with White and TKO.
He stated: “If it works for us, for our fighters, and if we are invited, then yes, we would definitely consider it.”
“I think it’s great that Dana White is entering boxing. TKO is a fantastic company, and he is an excellent promoter.”
“I don’t think boxing is broken. I believe we can always improve it, and it’s exciting to see what kind of structure they will create.”
Canelo Alvarez, 34, and Terence Crawford, 37, are expected to have a significant fight in September in Las Vegas, potentially promoted by TKO.
Following ESPN’s decision not to renew their contract with Bob Arum’s Top Rank Boxing, TKO might be partnering with the sports network.
Hearn commented: “The press release mentioned building stars and talent, so will it focus on lesser-known fighters?”
“It seems they’ve secured the ESPN deal from Top Rank, which is huge.”
“That can certainly build stars, so they are smart people. I’m sure they will develop a structure with potential.”
