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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Sport
Donagh Corby

Eddie Hearn explains Dana White friendship with shot at rival Frank Warren

Eddie Hearn believes he has maintained his close friendship with Dana White due to a mutual comfort between the pair, noting that other rivals such as Frank Warren are "threatened" by him.

Hearn, the head of Matchroom Boxing, and UFC President White get along famously, with the Brit even attending the MMA promotion's latest London event. White insisted that Hearn show up to UFC London last month, which he did alongside Anthony Joshua and Derek Chisora.

On the other hand, Warren was far less interested in having Hearn involved in any capacity with last weekend's Tyson Fury vs Dillian Whyte world heavyweight title fight. Over 94,000 fans were estimated to be in attendance at Wembley Stadium, but one person who was unable to make it was Hearn, saying that he never felt welcome at the show.

And he believes that his relationship with White is so much stronger due to mutual respect between the pair, despite competition on certain weekends with major events. "Genuinely, I spoke to him last night," Hearn joked in an exclusive chat with Mirror Fighting.

"I'm going to see him next week in Vegas. "He's a great promoter, he doesn't necessarily need my help but if he needs any advice I'm here like he's given me advice in the past.

"Friends? Well, we don't go out for beers and stuff like that but I respect him and stuff like that, I would have no problem reaching out to him if I needed help. That line is always open to him, he's been incredibly hospitable to me at all junctures and I find him to be a gentleman."

Hearn feels that he could have helped to push a major number of pay-per-view buys for last weekends Fury vs Whyte event. But he was never formally invited to be involved despite his history with the challenger and making him a major draw at the box office in the UK.

"It's different because I don't feel threatened by Dana and he doesn't feel threatened by me," he continued. "Frank feels threatened by me and he doesn't want me near anything.

Do you agree with Eddie Hearn's take on Dana White and Frank Warren? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below!

Eddie Hearn and Dana White have a close relationship (PA)

"Actually, I probably could have added another 300,000 pay-per-view buys to that event if I were involved. But, you know, Dana's very hospitable and I've got a lot of time for him."

"I never really had an offer to go there," Hearn added when asked about why he chose not to attend. "I wasn't really invited. At the end of the day I wanted Dillian Whyte to win and I wasn't involved with the fight. I watched it and congratulations to Tyson Fury on a good victory."

Hearn and White will go head-to-head on pay-per-view in America next weekend, with a major night of action planned for May 7. Canelo Alvarez faces Dmitry Bivol for the light heavyweight title in Vegas on the same night as Charles Oliveira defends his UFC lightweight belt against Justin Gaethje in Arizona.

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