Eddie Hearn has revealed UFC President Dana White tried to sign two-time World Heavyweight Champion boxer Anthony Joshua away from him. 

Hearn has promoted Joshua since the Olympic gold medalist turned professional in 2013, with Joshua having since gone on to become British, Commonwealth, and then Unified World Heavyweight Champion. He signed a career-long deal with the Matchroom boxing promoter in 2021, signaling his intent to remain with Hearn for as long as he continues. 

But Hearn revealed during “Cigar Talk” that the UFC President had opened negotiations with Joshua two contracts ago. 

“I’ll tell you a story because Dana White’s relevant. About two contracts ago, the media run a story: AJ in talks with Dana White. And I’m like, “the f***?” So I go and see AJ and we got a media thing and I went, ‘Yo, what the f***?” And he’s like, ‘Yeah he called me out of the blue.'”

“He went, ‘I told him straight away. I said, I’m with Eddie. But we had a good chat. Like we talked for like half an hour,’ ’cause AJ likes to listen and talk,” Hearn explained. 

Hearn said that six months later, he and White had a meeting where he brought up the Joshua talks. He said that White said that Joshua had immediately said he would not be leaving Matchroom. And it’s one of the reasons he maintains that he is indebted to the fighter. 

“I was like, ‘Wow,’ and he’s been offered deals along the way when our contract had come to an end that were much better short-term money options for him,” he said. “There ain’t a lot of people like that. Especially in a game like boxing. So I will always be indebted to him.”

White signed former Matchroom boxer Conor Benn to Zuffa Boxing for $15 million earlier this year, while Hearn signed UFC Heavyweight Champion Tom Aspinall as the inaugural talent under Matchroom Talent Agency.