Eddie Hearn says Leo Atang’s hand speed is creating an unusual problem for referees, with officials potentially stepping in too quickly because of how fast the 19-year-old heavyweight throws his combinations.
Hearn made the comments to iFL TV after Atang improved to 7-0 with his sixth knockout victory since turning professional in 2025, stopping France’s Fouad Shaili in the opening round.
“I thought the Leo Atang stoppage was early, and I think he was going to get knocked out, but that guy’s a durable guy, and I think we want to see Leo Atang get a real, genuine knockout. The problem is with Leo is his hands are so fast that when he’s unloading on someone, the ref’s like, looking to jump in and probably a little bit early.”
Hearn framed the observation as a reflection of the impression Atang makes rather than a criticism of the referee. Five of Atang’s six stoppages have come in the first round.
Hearn also placed Atang in the context of Matchroom’s broader group of young talent.
“Leo’s 19. Adam Macka’s 19. Conor Mitchell’s 21, 22, something like that. So, we’ve got a brilliant, brilliant stable of young fighters, but they’ve got a lot of learning to do.”
Dana White dismissed Eddie Hearn’s push to have Tom Aspinall released from his UFC contract, mocking the request and comparing it to asking the UFC to release bantamweight champion Bam Rodriguez.
White was asked about Hearn’s comments for the first time Saturday at the Zuffa Boxing 07 post-fight press conference.
“He said he wanted Aspinall released right? You release Bam Rodriguez, then. Sounds pretty stupid, doesn’t it? Congratulations, Eddie. You sound stupid again. Eddie, who apparently Conor Benn was his best friend, he’s been crying — literally crying for weeks, ‘Oh, he was my best friend.’ He didn’t even want to pay him, but he wants to pay my guy. He could’ve paid his best friend and they could’ve remained best friends. Eddie’s full of a lot of sh*t. You know it. I know it. We all know it.”
White said the UFC will not force Aspinall to fight but equally has no intention of releasing or renegotiating his deal, suggesting the situation will be addressed after the UFC Freedom 250 interim heavyweight title fight between Alex Pereira and Ciryl Gane on June 14.
“Let’s see who wins. Let’s see how the fight plays out at the White House. If Eddie’s not going to let his fighter fight, what are you going to do? You can’t make anybody fight. You can’t force anybody to fight. You have to want to fight, so we’ll see how it plays out.”
Hearn had claimed this week that Aspinall is extremely unhappy with his situation and would not unify belts with the Pereira-Gane winner under the terms of his current contract, while promising to find paydays tripling his UFC payout if released.
Eddie Hearn says Raymond Ford could build a long-term home in Houston regardless of how his fight with O’Shaquie Foster plays out, and reflected on the challenges of developing Ford into a marketable star without a consistent fanbase base.
Hearn spoke to BoxingScene ahead of Saturday’s WBC junior-featherweight title fight at Fertitta Center in Houston.
“Ray hasn’t built a massive fanbase. He’s from Camden, New Jersey. But what he is is really good, so you have to do something as a promoter to create opportunities. A win would put Ray in that conversation. Neither of them are massive ticket sellers. When we looked at this fight, it was ‘Where do we do this fight?’ O’Shaquie Foster said ‘I don’t want the fight in New Jersey.’ He’s the champion — fair play. So, Vegas? It’s not really a Vegas fight so you go to a smaller arena. And then we started looking at Houston.”
Hearn was candid about what a win would mean for Ford’s trajectory.
“If Ray wins he becomes a star. The winner — if Foster wins, he can come back here and fight every time. Ray, maybe he fights in Houston hereafter. He’ll wanna fight Navarrete. He’ll wanna unify — and those fights can take place anywhere.”
On the emotional stakes of the fight for him personally, Hearn was direct.
“I’m not going ‘If he wins, we can make some money there’. If he wins, he’s the 18 year old who come into my office in New York and is a two-weight, two-time world champion, which is only really touching the surface of what he could do, and that’s what excites me — and if he loses, he comes again, but he’s not good enough. That’s sport.”
Rico Verhoeven says he is bringing an approach to boxing that Oleksandr Usyk has never faced, as the kickboxing great prepares to challenge the undisputed heavyweight champion Saturday at the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt.
Verhoeven spoke at Thursday’s pre-fight press conference, framing his lack of traditional boxing experience as a potential asset.
“I’m bringing something he hasn’t seen before because he’s only faced boxers. They’ve been boxing their whole life, and I haven’t. It’s just like a whole different approach. Like you said, it’s God’s will, so let’s see on Saturday. Let the best man win.”
He also addressed the late-career transition from kickboxing to boxing.
“I was kickboxing since I was 6 years old, and I was 36 when I started transitioning into boxing, it was at the end of last year. Of course, I was boxing, but I was boxing to kickbox. For Peter, it was a lot of fun because he was training me to box and kickbox, but now he’s training me to box, so he’s having a lot of fun. I think we did quite a good job, and I’m going to showcase that to the world on Saturday.”
Matchroom Boxing CEO Eddie Hearn acknowledged the gap in class while refusing to fully rule out an upset.
“The fight on paper is an impossible mountain to climb for Rico Verhoeven. No, I’ll re-phrase that: for the normal man. Oleksandr Usyk is one of the greatest not just fighters of our generation, but greatest examples to any young fighter, to any young athlete in terms of the work ethic and the mindset. Tomorrow night, this guy, this giant of a man whose arms are like the normal man’s thighs, has an opportunity to forge one of the greatest upsets in the history of boxing. He’s coming in not just to fight the best in the division; he’s coming in to fight the pound-for-pound No. 1. But I’ll tell you what: If there was ever anything dramatic, ever anything strange to happen, it’s going to happen at the foot of the Pyramids in Egypt.”
Usyk is listed as a minus-5000 favorite. Verhoeven has one professional boxing bout on his record — a 2014 second-round knockout of Janos Finfera.
Dana White delivered one of his more colorful responses to Eddie Hearn on Saturday night following UFC 328 in Newark, firing back at the Matchroom Boxing promoter after Hearn branded him a clout chaser and told him to find his courage over the Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua situation.
The dispute centers on White’s claim that he would be involved in promoting the Fury and Joshua fight later this year, which both Hearn and Fury’s promoter Frank Warren flatly denied. When asked by IFL TV’s Colm McGuigan to clarify his involvement after UFC 328, White gave a deliberately vague answer.
“I don’t know, let’s see what happens.”
When McGuigan pressed him on Hearn and Warren’s denials, White kept it equally brief.
“Then it must not be true.”
It was only when Bloody Elbow asked White to respond to Hearn’s specific language, including the clout chaser comment and the invitation to find his courage, that White opened up fully.
“This fruit loop came out and said he’s the fing biggest fight in boxing while he has Bam Rodriguez and Anthony Joshua and all the other guys that are out there. He’s the biggest fight in boxing? Those are his words, you know what a fing fruit loop you’ve got to be to say that? Nobody knew who this guy was four months ago and now he’s the biggest fight in boxing? I hope I answered your question.”
The two promoters have been trading public insults for several months, with an actual boxing match between them having been floated by multiple parties as a way of settling the dispute. Hearn’s comments about White’s courage appear to be a reference to those fight talks stalling. Fury and Joshua are expected to meet later in 2026 in Britain on Netflix, with Frank Warren placing November as the most likely window.
Eddie Hearn has dismissed Dana White’s suggestion that he will be involved in promoting Tyson Fury versus Anthony Joshua, calling it contractually impossible and taking a pointed personal shot at the UFC president in the same breath.
White had publicly claimed involvement in the long-awaited British heavyweight showdown, prompting Hearn to respond on his Instagram story with language that made his position unmistakably clear.
“Such a clout chaser. Not a chance and contractually impossible. Let me know when you find your b—.”
The final line was a reference to Hearn’s earlier accusation that White backed out of a boxing match between the two promoters that had been publicly discussed.
Hearn also posted a screenshot referencing TKO president Mark Shapiro’s claim that Zuffa Boxing had been involved in promoting Fury’s recent comeback win over Arslanbek Makhmudov, adding a second dig in a separate story.
“Oh yeah, they said they were promoting this one too. What happened?”
The Fury and Joshua fight has been signed for later in 2026 on Netflix, with Frank Warren confirming November is now the more likely window after October was initially floated. Joshua faces Kristian Prenga in Riyadh on July 25 before the mega fight. No date or venue has been officially confirmed for the Fury and Joshua bout, though it is expected to take place in Britain.
Anthony Joshua has his comeback opponent, and there is now a title at stake. The Olympic gold medallist and former two-time unified heavyweight champion will return to the ring on July 25 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, against unbeaten Albanian heavyweight Kristian Prenga, with the official press release billing the bout for the WBC World Heavyweight Championship.
The fight, dubbed “The Comeback,” was confirmed Monday by His Excellency Turki Alalshikh, Chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority. It will headline a card at the Esports World Cup at Boulevard City and stream live worldwide on DAZN. The bout opens a new multi-fight Saudi deal for Joshua, and crucially, it is the warm-up that activates a long-rumored showdown with Tyson Fury reportedly targeted for late 2026.
The WBC Title Billing
The official Matchroom Boxing press release describes the fight as being for the WBC World Heavyweight Championship. That billing carries some complications. Oleksandr Usyk currently holds the full WBC heavyweight title and is scheduled to make a voluntary defense against Rico Verhoeven on May 23 at the Pyramids of Giza, while Agit Kabayel holds the WBC interim title and has been waiting on a mandatory shot. Whether Joshua vs Prenga is sanctioned for a vacant version of the belt, a secondary WBC title, or pending further clarification from the sanctioning body, the press release does not specify. Further details from the WBC are expected.
Joshua’s First Fight Since Tragedy
This will be Joshua’s first appearance in the ring since his sixth-round stoppage of Jake Paul on December 19, 2025, in Miami. Ten days after that fight, Joshua was involved in a car crash in Lagos, Nigeria, that killed his close friends Sina Ghami and Latif Ayodele. He sustained only minor injuries, but at one point was reportedly believed to be retiring from the sport.
Joshua, 36, broke his silence weeks later in an emotional video confirming his intent to fight on. The July 25 booking is the first concrete step on that road back. He enters with a professional record of 28-4 with 25 knockouts, his most recent win coming via knockout against Jake Paul.
“It’s no secret I’ve taken some time to consolidate and rebuild to be ready for stepping back into the ring, and today is the next step on that journey,” Joshua said. “I’m delighted to have agreed a multi-fight deal starting with July 25th in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia. I’m looking forward to competing and picking up where I left off. As I said. The landlord will collect his rent. That is certain.”
Joshua’s Heavyweight Résumé
Matchroom’s release leaned hard on Joshua’s career résumé to frame the comeback. Over the past eight years, Joshua has been central to some of boxing’s biggest heavyweight events, with wins over Wladimir Klitschko, Joseph Parker, Kubrat Pulev, and Andy Ruiz Jr., and high-profile defeats against Oleksandr Usyk, Daniel Dubois, and a stoppage of Francis Ngannou. He has headlined stadium events at Wembley Stadium and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Who Is Kristian Prenga?
Prenga (20-1, 20 KOs) is a 35-year-old Albanian heavyweight based in New Jersey who carries a perfect knockout ratio. He turned professional in 2016, and his only loss came on points back in 2017. The July 25 bout will be the highest-profile fight of his career and his first major international main event. He has never been beyond eight rounds in a scheduled bout, and he has not faced anyone near world-level opposition.
“Anthony Joshua is a great fighter, but he made a terrible miscalculation in picking me as his opponent,” Prenga said. “This is the kind of fight that changes everything in my life and his. I know they have big plans ahead after this fight. I know they are overlooking me. I’m happy about that. I will derail their plans and shock the world this July in Saudi Arabia.”
The Fury Fight Is the Real Prize
The subtext to Monday’s announcement is unmistakable. Promoter Eddie Hearn has openly said Joshua wanted a tune-up before facing Fury, and reporting from The Ring confirms that if Joshua comes through Prenga unscathed, he will finally meet Fury at the end of 2026 in what would be the most anticipated fight in British boxing history. That super-fight is expected to land on Netflix.
Joshua and Fury have been on a collision course for more than a decade without sharing a ring. Tensions spiked earlier this month when Fury called Joshua out from the ring after beating Arslanbek Makhmudov, leading to Hearn confirming a two-fight structure built around a July warm-up and a Fury showdown later in the year.
For now, the rent will be collected on July 25. The bigger payday is waiting on the other side.
Jarrell Miller outworked previously unbeaten Lenier Pero over 12 rounds to win a unanimous decision Saturday night in a WBA heavyweight title eliminator at Fontainebleau Las Vegas, then immediately turned his attention to Deontay Wilder.
Two judges scored the bout 117-111 for Miller, with the third turning in a 115-113 card. Miller improved to 28-1-2 with 22 knockouts. Pero fell to 13-1, suffering the first loss of his professional career.
The win positions Miller as the WBA mandatory challenger, putting him in line for a shot at unified heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk or, depending on how the picture shakes out, Daniel Dubois.
Volume Carries the Night
Miller and Pero combined to throw 1,652 punches in what ESPN described as a toe-to-toe slugfest. Miller alone threw 1,003, landing 290, per CompuBox. Pero was the more accurate man at 39 percent to Miller’s 29 percent, but he could not match the Brooklyn fighter’s pressure or volume.
Pero started fast, using his southpaw jab and clean counters to outbox Miller from range through the early rounds. Miller, who weighed 305 pounds to Pero’s 251, turned the fight into a phonebooth brawl from the third round on, walking the Cuban down to the ropes and trading on the inside.
By the 11th round, an exhausted Pero was barely able to come out of his corner. He tried to rally midway through the 12th, but Miller closed the fight strong, trading power shots until the final bell. No knockdowns were scored.
Miller Wants Wilder Next
Miller wasted little time once he had the microphone, naming Tyson Fury, Wilder, and Pero’s brother Dainier Pero as targets. Wilder, who returned this month with a controversial split decision over Derek Chisora, drew the most pointed words.
“Deontay, he said a long time ago that he doesn’t want to fight ‘Big Baby’ because I hurt his feelings,” Miller told DAZN. “If you don’t shut your pie a** up and come fight me, boy, we’re going to see.”
Promoter Eddie Hearn quickly endorsed the matchup.
“For me, when I look at the fights in the division, as a promoter, you want a fight with great build-up, you want a fight with jeopardy,” Hearn said. “The American fight is Deontay Wilder against Jarrell Miller. Run it in New York.”
Miller, 37, has now strung together back-to-back wins for the first time since 2022, building on the form he showed in Saturday’s WBA eliminator main event. Asked about his trimmer appearance, he kept it light: “Every time I drop five pounds, I get to eat a cheesesteak.”
His preferred next move, he said, is a slot on the Xander Zayas vs. Jaron Ennis card on June 27 in Brooklyn.
Eddie Hearn has turned Dana White’s own language against him, calling Zuffa Boxing visionless after White spent months making the same accusation against established boxing promoters.
Speaking to Fight Hub TV, Hearn reflected on how his relationship with White has changed since the UFC boss entered boxing with Zuffa Boxing and began publicly attacking rival promoters, including Matchroom.
“He’s always been unbelievably courteous to me,” Hearn said. “It is what it is, I don’t have anything personal to say about him and it’s just a business and a fight, but this one is out of the ring. It’s Matchroom vs Zuffa, and I love it. It’s a buzz. Everyone is talking about Eddie and Dana fighting but the real fight is the business.”
The two men used to have a cordial relationship, with Hearn having attended UFC events as White’s guest. That changed when White launched Zuffa Boxing and began targeting boxing’s promotional establishment with broad criticism about a lack of vision. Hearn is now pointing to Zuffa Boxing’s early track record as evidence that the accusation applies in the opposite direction.
“I don’t think they know what they’re doing in boxing. Where’s the league? We’re six months in and all we’ve seen is five shows with a load of randoms on it. You’re stuck in the Apex still, are you gonna come out of there and do anything creative?” Hearn said.
He also suggested White operates in a bubble that prevents him from accurately assessing what the rest of the industry is doing. “Every time he opens his mouth he talks about me, which is brilliant for my profile over here in America. I don’t really think he knows what’s going on in terms of what other people are doing because they’re so arrogant they just think what they do is the only thing happening.”
White has teased plans to take Zuffa Boxing to the UK and has recently signed Conor Benn to a multi-fight deal, though the promotion has staged all of its events to date at the Meta APEX on the UFC campus.
The Dana White and Eddie Hearn promotional rivalry has taken another sharp turn, with Hearn delivering a lengthy attack on White at his Liverpool show while White responded with his now-familiar dismissal on the other side of the Atlantic.
White originally floated the idea of a boxing match between the two promoters in what began as a lighthearted exchange, but Hearn has since pursued the concept with enthusiasm and growing frustration at what he sees as White backing away from a fight he called for.
Speaking after his show at the M&S Bank Arena in Liverpool, Hearn went directly at White and challenged him to follow through.
“The only thing that can stop the fight happening is Dana White,” Hearn said. “So really, the truth of the matter is, he’s backing out of the fight that he called on. So who’s the p—e now? Where’s your balls gone? You can’t keep calling me a p—e when you call me out for a fight, and I accept the fight, and then you go, ‘Oh, no, no, we’re bums, it would go on earlier in the night.’ What the f— is that? We would main event and sell out a massive stadium. Do you not think we’d sell out The O2? Do you not think we’d do over a million buys globally?”
Hearn added that he has been daydreaming about the fight in considerable detail. “In bed every night I’ve picked my ring walk, I’ve actually designed my robe. But, like I said, it’ll probably just be fantasy because unfortunately, Dana White backed out of the fight.”
Hours later at the UFC Winnipeg press conference, White was asked about the situation and repeated his standard framing of the two men as unworthy of a real fight card.
“Eddie said that me and him are the biggest fight in boxing. Therein lies the problem with boxing. You’re a f—ing bum, I’m old, and we don’t even deserve to be on a card with a bunch of real fighters,” White said.
The two promoters are currently running competing boxing and MMA operations, with White’s Zuffa Boxing signing high-profile names while Hearn continues to operate Matchroom Boxing as one of the sport’s most established promotional outfits.
