Eddie Hearn rips into UFC for wanting "their brand to be bigger than the fighter" while calling MMA "a poor relative" to boxing

British boxing promoter Eddie Hearn recently called out the UFC for supposedly wanting their brand to be more popular than the fighters. The chairman of Matchroom Sport also claimed MMA to be a "poor relative" to boxing.

In an interview with Ariel Helwani, the 45-year-old Hearn claimed that the UFC does not have many superstars, while comparing boxing favorably to MMA:

"Boxing is on fire right now. It's controlling all the narrative, digitally, across social media on a far different level to MMA and UFC. MMA is a poor relative [to boxing]. It's not their fault really. Just a bit tired, isn't it? It's really down to the actual product which is the fights."

He continued:

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"If you said to me now, name me six UFC superstars, I couldn't do it. The problem is, with the UFC, they always want the brand to be bigger than that of the fighter. Those guys won't be able to lace my boots in boxing promotion."

Check out Eddie Hearn's comments below:

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Eddie Hearn claims Jake Paul will fight Gervonta Davis later this year

Jake Paul's last fight was against a 58-year-old Mike Tyson at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The contest was a one-sided unanimous decision in favor of the Ohio native. The former Vine star now looks to take it to the next level as he faces former WBC middleweight champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. on June 28.

Recently, Eddie Hearn shocked fans when he told reporters that 'The Problem Child' will face Gervonta Davis later this year, while also calling the Chavez Jr. fight "smart bit of business":

[Paul vs. Chavez Jr.] not a terrible fight. We know that Gervonta [Davis] is gonna fight Jake Paul in November. Then, we'll see what happens. It'll be interesting to go from Gervonta Davis to Anthony Joshua. I don't think the Chavez fight is terrible. I think it's a smart bit of business."

Check out Eddie Hearn's comments below:

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About the author

Sunil holds a Bachelor of Science degree in visual communication. He started his professional career in 2023 and has previously worked with FirstSportz and Levitate Studios, among other organizations.

Sunil was drawn to MMA by Conor McGregor, especially the Irishman’s crossover boxing bout with Floyd Mayweather Jr. in 2017. His favorite fighter is Jorge Masvidal for his wild and unorthodox approach.

Surprisingly, ‘The Notorious’ and ‘Gamebred’ do not find a place in his Mt. Rushmore, which includes Chuck Liddell, Anderson Silva, Alex Pereira, Daniel Cormier, and Khabib Nurmagomedov. He feels ONE Championship’s Rodtang Jitmuangnon has the ability to succeed in the UFC due to his power.

Sunil is of the opinion that the UFC is not doing enough to prevent eye pokes and does not mind soccer kicks in MMA.

In his free time, he likes to watch anime and films in general. He’s also a boxing historian, having gotten into the sport watching videos of fighters like Sugar Ray Leonard and Roberto Duran.

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Edited by Sunil Krishnan