Dana White and his team continue to expand their footprint in boxing. The UFC CEO is actively rebuilding Zuffa Boxing and, clearly, he is leaving little to chance. Just this week, the promotion made headlines by signing British boxer Conor Benn. With that move, White not only strengthened his roster but also sent a clear message to rival promoters. Now, it appears he is not slowing down.

Reports indicate that Zuffa Boxing has moved to sign the heavyweight who knocked out two-time former champion Anthony Joshua.

“I’m hearing that the Andy Ruiz Jr. to Zuffa Boxing deal may be done and announced soon. I posted the below on January 22nd. #Boxing,” wrote renowned boxing writer Abraham Gonzalez on X.

Apart from that, Andy Ruiz Jr. himself commented on Dana White’s Instagram post, which confirmed Conor Benn’s signing with Zuffa Boxing. Ruiz’s comment added fuel to Gonzalez’s claims.

“Let’s go we about to make this big @danawhite,” Ruiz Jr. wrote.

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Interestingly, Gonzalez first floated the possibility of the signing back in January. While neither the UFC nor Andy Ruiz Jr. has officially confirmed the reported deal, Andy’s comments do signal the possibility of him stepping inside the Zuffa Boxing ring.

Ruiz caught the attention of the boxing fans in 2019 when he defeated Anthony Joshua at Madison Square Garden. He delivered the biggest upset of the year and became the unified world champion and the first Mexican heavyweight to do so.

However, Joshua reclaimed the belts a few months later. Since then, Ruiz has fought only three times, remaining largely inactive. Most recently, he drew against Jarrell Miller in August under the banner of Matchroom Boxing. Apparently, the Mexican boxer has been dealing with injuries from that fight.

Now, the UFC looks ready to add another Matchroom fighter to its expanding Zuffa Boxing roster, which further strengthens its position in the sport. However, Matchroom chairman Eddie Hearn has, understandably, intensified his criticism of Dana White and his aggressive move into boxing.

Eddie Hearn fires back at Dana White as dispute heats up

Dana White and Eddie Hearn once shared a respectful relationship, but tensions rose after White spoke about entering Hearn’s territory, igniting a rivalry between them. Now, White is positioning himself as a major contender against traditional boxing promotions, aiming to match UFC-level popularity.

Hearn, in contrast, clearly views White’s expansion as a threat to boxing’s history and established structure. The rivalry escalated even further after White made a sharp comment about Hearn, claiming that he works for his father. Hearn fired back bluntly.

“The reality is, yes, I do work for my dad, but guess what,” said Eddie Hearn, “Dana White has worked for his daddy for a long time… The Fertitta brothers, that’s who he worked for, and right now, Dana White’s got a new daddy, and his name is Turki Alalshikh. He is his pappy.”

Given this tension, Hearn’s frustration makes sense, especially since Dana White is actively recruiting fighters from his promotion. So, what do you think about Zuffa Boxing’s future in the sport? Could it become a successful model, or is it heading for challenges? Share your thoughts below.