The Matchroom promoter believes that approach prevents reporters from pressing White on more difficult topics tied to the business side of combat sports.
“I’m listening to these guys asking questions, and no one’s pushing him,” Hearn said. “No one’s really asking any serious questions. No one really asks any proper questions. It’s a huge machine that you can’t actually get close to and ask the real questions.”
Hearn suggested that reporters covering White should be challenging him on issues such as fighter pay and how revenues are distributed within the UFC.
“If I’m on media row, I’m asking a question: if Tom Aspinall is driving more revenue to the pot than Conor Benn, why is he making 10 times less money?” Hearn said. “Can you answer that?”
The comparison between Aspinall and Benn highlights one of the arguments Hearn has repeatedly made when discussing the financial differences between boxing and mixed martial arts. In boxing, fighters typically negotiate individual purses tied to events, television rights, and commercial deals. The UFC, by contrast, operates under long-term promotional contracts that determine fighter compensation.
Hearn’s remarks arrive during a period of increasing friction between the British promoter and White following the launch of Zuffa Boxing. The new venture, backed by TKO Group Holdings and Saudi investment, is expected to stage its first major events later this year as White expands beyond MMA.
White has already dismissed Hearn publicly, describing him as just another manager entering the MMA space. Hearn, meanwhile, has questioned the early direction of the project and the quality of the events produced so far.
The exchange has quickly turned into one of the louder rivalries surrounding the push to build a new boxing league.
Hearn’s criticism of interview restrictions also touches on a broader issue within combat sports media: how closely reporters can challenge promoters and executives when access to fighters and events often depends on maintaining working relationships. In Hearn’s view, those questions should still be asked.
Read the full article here