UFC president Dana White has addressed criticism from British boxing promoter Eddie Hearn while confirming the headline bout for the debut Zuffa Boxing card.

White has spoken out after Hearn questioned his involvement in boxing and his plans for the newly launched Zuffa Boxing promotion, which is scheduled to stage its first event on January 23 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The card will be headlined by undefeated Irish contender Callum Walsh against the 38-3 former world title contender Carlos Ocampo.

The comments come as White, alongside Saudi adviser Turki Alalshikh, prepares to introduce a new boxing model under the Zuffa banner, drawing scrutiny from established promoters including Matchroom Boxing chairman Hearn.

“I was actually surprised with Eddie Hearn… at his take on me getting into boxing and his reaction to it,” White said, according to talkSPORT, after discussing the issue on Stephen A. Smith’s show. White added that Hearn’s comments were “very negative, very confrontational.”

White also suggested that Hearn’s response was motivated by self-interest. “He’s talking like a politician now… what are you talking about? It’s like the politician who’s running for re-election,” White added.

Zuffa Boxing’s first event will feature Walsh, a fighter White has publicly backed, as the main attraction, with the promotion aiming to apply a UFC-style structure to professional boxing, including centralised control and a streamlined championship system.

Further announcements regarding future cards and fighter signings are expected as Zuffa Boxing moves closer to its launch date, with debate continuing around how the promotion could impact the wider boxing landscape.

White’s entry into boxing has intensified discussions around reform within the sport, particularly as long-standing promoters and governing bodies react to the prospect of a new power broker entering an already fragmented industry.