Imago
Credits: IMAGO
Imago
Credits: IMAGO
It was one of those nights when everything felt big—fights, moments, and even the conversations that followed. Dana White was in good spirits after UFC 327 in Miami, answering questions with his usual blend of comedy and straightforward honesty. However, amid all of the excitement about the card, one unexpected topic resurfaced: a long-forgotten boxing match that appears to have nearly come back to life.
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According to the UFC CEO, the idea of him finally stepping into the ring with Tito Ortiz wasn’t completely dead after all. Around the time Jake Paul faced Mike Tyson, Ortiz reportedly approached Lorenzo Fertitta about reviving their long-scrapped fight.
Dana White didn’t get too much into it, but he didn’t dismiss it either, admitting that he vaguely remembered the conversation while laughing about his age and current priorities.
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“You know what? I think Lorenzo did say something like that,” Dana White said. “Yeah. I’m 50 f—— six years old. I’m gonna be 57 in July. I fight to get out of bed every day, okay?
“But, yeah. I vaguely remember something like that. I think so.”
Dana White confirms that when Jake Paul was fighting Mike Tyson, Tito Ortiz reached out to Lorenzo Fertitta to try and get their boxing match back on.
Later, when asked if Turki made an offer to put on a boxing match with him and Eddie Hearn: You don’t think Turki would try and… pic.twitter.com/bq8tbxKJvM
— Jed I. Goodman © (@jedigoodman) April 12, 2026
That history is deep. What began as a manager-fighter relationship between the UFC head honcho and Tito Ortiz quickly escalated into one of MMA’s most personal feuds, with contract disputes, public insults, and even a physical altercation on an airplane.
A boxing match was originally agreed upon, with the UFC boss going through a rigorous training camp, only for it to break apart at the last minute. Years later, the fact that ‘The Huntington Beach Bad Boy’ is still eager to revisit it says everything about how unfinished the rivalry is.
Dana White didn’t just mention Ortiz. The UFC CEO also took aim at Eddie Hearn, continuing a professional feud that has only intensified since his shift to boxing with Zuffa. From signing Conor Benn away from Hearn to seeing the British promoter team up with Tom Aspinall, the relationship between the two has drastically deteriorated.
When the idea of a boxing contest between them was brought up, White didn’t mince words.
Dana White goes off on an X-rated rant
That’s when everything went from subtle tension to full-fledged chaos. Because once Dana White began addressing Eddie Hearn directly, there was no attempt to hold anything back. When talks of a boxing bout between the two resurfaced, Dana White denounced them outright—not just as unrealistic but as beneath the level of the sport itself.
“Tito’s dumb as hell, but Tito’s not a p—-,” Dana White said. “Eddie Hearn’s a p—-. Eddie Hearn ain’t boxing anybody. F—– posting pictures of himself hitting the f—— speed bag. It looks like it’s in slow motion.
“Let me tell you what. If that did happen, me and Eddie Hearn are bums. We would be the first fight of the night. These guys are talking about, we’re gonna headline some f—— card or some s— like that. Bums, okay?”
Aware of the skill Eddie Hearn possesses while accepting that he has aged, White doubled down.
“Whoever was talented on that card should be insulted if he and I were anywhere near,” he added. “Any other slot other than the first fight of the night, and it shouldn’t even be on TV.”
Still, hidden behind the rant was an interesting admission. When asked if Turki Alalshikh was potentially pushing for the fight, the UFC CEO confirmed what many suspected: offers are being made, and these conversations are real.
“You don’t think Turki would try to do that fight?” he asked. “Of course they did. People are throwing offers around everywhere.”
But, while others may see opportunity, Dana White only looks for real spectacles. And, for the time being, he seems far more interested in calling it out than cashing in on it.
