Eddie Hearn has offered his take on Dana White’s recent clash with reporter Sean Zittel at the Canelo Alvarez vs. Terence Crawford press conference in Las Vegas.
White made his debut as a boxing promoter with the Netflix-streamed super fight, delivering a record-setting event from Allegiant Stadium where Crawford dethroned Canelo. Amid the success, one moment went viral when White was confronted about his promotion’s role in proposed changes to the Muhammad Ali Act, a federal law protecting boxers for decades.
White and Zittel Face Off
During the press conference, Zittel pressed White about TKO Boxing’s attempts to revise the Ali Act and whether White would stay active in boxing if those changes did not go through.
White insisted the questions were better suited for a private discussion:
“If you want to be an a–hole let’s do it in private and we can do an interview. If you want to showboat, I get it.”
He told Zittel to schedule a proper interview instead of pressing the issue publicly.
Dana White SHUTS DOWN a reporter at the #CaneloCrawford press conference 😬
Reporter: “Why do you want to make sweeping changes to the Muhammad Ali reform act that is meant to protect fighters…”
Dana: “Listen, if you want to be an asshole let’s do it in private and we can do… pic.twitter.com/a8Wnnx6TJT
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) September 12, 2025
Eddie Hearn Explains His Media Approach
Hearn, one of boxing’s leading promoters, reflected on how he handles press conferences differently. He often spends hours after events giving one-on-one interviews to outlets of all sizes.
“After the press conference I will do every outlet individually for basically three hours. I don’t really take questions from the floor, I allow them to ask the question to my face away from the press conference.”
Hearn emphasized that this method allows journalists to ask a broader range of questions without disrupting the event:
“This enables them to ask a broader range of questions. So I have to be honest that the pressing of that question, while it was a very good and valid question, is not necessarily relevant to the Crawford-Canelo fight.”
He also explained the challenge journalists face when White does not make himself as accessible:
“The issue is Dana doesn’t do all those interviews, he doesn’t give the media access like that so when they get the open floor they want their opportunity to ask the questions that people want to hear.”
Advice For Sean Zittel
Hearn offered advice on how Zittel could proceed after the public confrontation:
“If I’m Sean Zittel, I’m now firing in the email to go ‘you said in front of the world to come and talk to you and question you and do an interview with you, when would you like that to take place?’”
While White’s boxing debut was a commercial success, the press conference incident highlighted cultural differences between MMA and boxing media practices. Hearn believes valid questions deserve answers, but timing, format, and access make a big difference.
“After the press conference I will do every outlet individually for basically three hours,” Hearn said.
“This enables them to ask a broader range of questions.”
White’s aggressive business style has also drawn legal attention, with ongoing antitrust lawsuits scrutinizing UFC’s control over fighters, rankings, and promotions.
The UFC settled a major antitrust case in February 2025 for $375 million, covering claims from 2010–2017, with most of the money going to fighters. However, other lawsuits remain active, including one covering 2017 onward and two new cases filed in 2025 challenging UFC contracts and alleged anti-competitive practices. The UFC continues to face legal scrutiny despite the settlement.
