Despite $17 million events in 2025, Eddie Hearn declares boxing superior to Dana White’s product

Matchroom promoter Eddie Hearn says boxing is a hotter commodity, despite a more frantic frequency, than Dana White and his UFC.

Despite $17 million events in 2025, Eddie Hearn declares boxing superior to Dana White’s product

Eddie Hearn says sport of boxing is hotter and bigger than Dana White and his UFC (Source: IMAGO/X)

The biggest difference between boxing and MMA is the “work to rest” pace, i.e., effort-to-pause ratio. It essentially defines the tempo and frequency in fights. In a similar vein of thought, boxing is more frequently treading ahead than UFC/MMA to a more glorified endgame. So says promoter Eddie Hearn; Hearn is very respectful of UFC CEO and headman Dana White‘s premier combat sports product. But to him, boxing is the bigger, year-round head-turner.

Sure…boxing has its pitfalls. There are a lot of commission payouts and blimps to show for it. Everyone is a champion in the fractured 4-belt era. But, per Hearn, no press is bad press if it gets one talking. Subsequently, the involvement of Saudi GEA boxing chief Turki Alalshikh has made it a prime attraction. Ever since 2023, everyone wants that Saudi backing and an extended Riyadh Season involvement.

Now, I saw your comment, Ariel, where you said, …you know, right now, when you talk about boxing and MMA, where’s the narrative? You know, we’re at a big event. Who’s talking about what?  … It was crazy. The hype has been around MMA, around UFC. And it continues to be, by the way. It’s an amazing business, an amazing product. But you cannot deny, right now, boxing is hotter. And everybody’s talking about it. And we’re getting all the big fights, all the big clubs, all the promoters are trying harder than ever to try and bridge the gap between themselves and Riyadh’s season

Eddie Hearn on “The Ariel Helwani Show” for ‘Uncrowned’ Combat

Year-to-date UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay is going at $871,500; 2024 made $8,280,500, which is a bit more each year. UFC 312 PPV at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, airing on pay-per-view, made $254,500 alone. With an announced attendance of 18,537 for a live gate income of $7,687,317, Dana White and Co. are going high. Before this was UFC 311 PPV, which made an announced gate of $10,206,350 despite last-minute tuning!

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Other than that, White also hosted the once-in-a-lifetime UFC Sphere event with a whopping $21,829,245 output! The historic UFC 300 card last year perhaps was the most important chapter in its decade. However, already at the zenith, White and UFC have no more endgame to reach. Concurrently, even White has often given in to the success of boxing and wants a piece.

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Is the frequency of boxing cards necessarily a bad thing?

A lot of veterans have said that the UFC is stacking the deck with a lot more meaningful fights for the top contender spot. The boxing cards, on the other hand, tend to be top-heavy. Professional boxers are trying to outdo each other with more gold in the fractured era of the four belts. Yet, globally, boxers get more payouts while UFC monopoly limits the end.

Boxing's frequency is better for a fight capital finale, unlike UFC roadshows for title shots
Boxing’s frequency is better for a fight capital finale, unlike UFC roadshows for title shots (Source: X)

As Eddie Hearn put it, the promise of the wonderland that is Riyadh Season has everyone yearning. Dana White and his UFC have started telecasting boxing grind on UFC FIGHTPASS. After the success of UFC on ABC 6: Whittaker vs. Aliskerov at Riyadh, White is eyeing Saudi involvement evermore, maybe even as a part of a multi-division Boxing League.

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However, boxing’s weird frequency is a good thing on its own as everyone eyes that Riyadh Season landmark, even if on an undercard. February alone has quite the schedule. There’s ‘Gloves & Roses: A Night of Professional Boxing’ on PPV/TrillerTV at 7:30 pm ET. Denys Berinchyk vs. Keyshawn Davis happens the same day, ESPN/ESPN+, at 9:00 pm ET.

Jack Catterall vs. Arnold Barboza for an interim WBO title happens a day after. Then comes Oscar Duarte vs. Miguel Madueno on DAZN PPV at 8:00 pm ET on the 15th. For example, all these happen before Canelo Alvarez has his first Riyadh-deal fight in May. Yet, all these names now have a chance at climbing the ladder and making a case for the combat capital for big cards.

Related: Turki Alalshikh takes control of Ring Magazine with aim to revive it in 2025