Dana White shouldn't have attempted to hit back in his war of words with Jake Paul, says Matchroom boss Eddie Hearn.
Hearn, who has a positive relationship with both UFC president White and YouTuber-turned-boxer Paul, has said that when he won't be attempting to go toe-to-toe verbally with Paul when they reunite later this year.
Paul and Hearn will be co-promoting a hue undisputed lightweight title fight at Madison Square Garden on April 30 in their first business dealing since the Brit handed Paul his professional boxing debut in January 2020.
And Hearn has said that if he were in White's position, he wouldn't be trying to get into a verbal battle with Paul, who is known for his ability to sell a fight with his unique brand of at times cringe-inducing trash talk.
"I can't compete with him, chat-wise," Hearn explained to Mirror Fighting yesterday in Belfast at a press conference for Leigh Wood vs Michael Conlan.
"And the worst thing that you can ever do as Dana White learned the other day is try and chat back to him.
"So I'm just going to stand up there and say 'as far as I understand, this is the second coming of Muhammad Ali, the greatest promoter of all time and just let him go.
"I don't mind, as I've got a bit older I've become a bit more humble - if you asked me 10 years ago, I might have said 'he can't outtalk me'.
"I'm sure he can, even though he can't outtalk me on boxing knowledge!"
Paul demanded that White increase fighter pay in the UFC to a minimum of $50,000 from it's current $12,000 as well as introducing healthcare for fighters long-term and increasing the revenue split to 50 per cent.
In return, he said, he would come to the UFC and fight for that minimum payout in a very unfavourable debut matchup with Jorge Masvidal.
Who do you think has got the better of the verbal exchanges; Jake Paul or Dana White? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below!
And White slapped back with an Instagram post of his own blasting Paul for being "too stupid" to come up with his own manifesto, and calling his manager Nakisa Bidarian a scumbag.
But many fans felt that it was Paul who got the better of the exchange, with White levelling an accusation of steroid abuse at the YouTuber, who later noted that his offer would include joining the USADA testing pool.
In recent weeks, the UFC boss seems to have softened his stance on the YouTube star, and has told a number of media outlets that he "doesn't hate" Paul despite their feud.
"He really hasn't been a thorn in my side," White explained in an interview with Manouk Akopyan. "I really don't hate him like people think I hate him.
"He's a young guy, he's got a fanbase and he's trying to make some money so I don't ever fault anybody for that."
