The ongoing war of words between Dana White and Eddie Hearn has intensified, with the UFC president criticising the Matchroom promoter over his stance on the future of boxing regulation.

White, who is expanding into boxing through Zuffa Boxing, and Hearn, one of the sport’s most prominent promoters, have crossed paths on several occasions throughout their careers but as their respective paths diverge, their relationship has deteriorated as White’s boxing plans have taken shape, with the two disagreeing on the direction the sport should take and how much regulatory oversight it should have.

A key point of contention is the Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act, which was introduced in 2000 to protect fighters’ rights and ensure financial transparency. Hearn has voiced concerns that White’s plans could undermine those protections, arguing that removing or weakening the Act would give promoters greater control over fighters and rankings. White has rejected that interpretation, saying his proposal would complement, not replace, existing rules.

“Eddie Hearn is acting like a lunatic. He sounds like he’s reading a WWE script every time he talks,” said White. “He just sounds ridiculous. It reminds me of a career politician — you’re not going to do anything.”

White’s boxing project aims to introduce a new structure to the sport, with unified belts and events managed under one umbrella. Hearn, meanwhile, defends the current system, saying it provides transparency and protects fighters from conflicts of interest between promoters and managers.

“We’re real boxing,” Hearn said. “We don’t want to change the Muhammad Ali Act. I don’t want to hide the revenue from the show. Fighters deserve to know what they’re earning — and the stars deserve to be paid properly.”