Ali Akbar Rosady
London, UK – The burgeoning conflict between established boxing promotional entities and new entrants into the sport intensified this week as DAZN, the global sports streaming service, issued a cease-and-desist order to Dana White’s Zuffa Boxing. The directive specifically targets Zuffa Boxing’s reported attempts to negotiate a bout between highly-touted super lightweight Ryan Garcia and welterweight contender Conor Benn. This legal action follows a similar cease-and-desist sent by Golden Boy Promotions, Garcia’s long-standing promoter, highlighting the complex contractual landscape governing professional boxing.
The news was brought to light by Eddie Hearn, Chairman of Matchroom Boxing and a prominent figure in the sport, who suggested that UFC CEO Dana White, the driving force behind Zuffa Boxing, might be underestimating the intricacies and legal frameworks of the boxing world. Hearn, whose Matchroom Boxing promotes Conor Benn and maintains an exclusive broadcast partnership with DAZN, detailed the dual legal challenges facing White’s venture.
"The reason he’s thrown his toys out the pram about DAZN is because three or four days ago, DAZN issued a cease-and-desist on Dana White for talking to Ryan Garcia because Ryan Garcia is under an exclusive contract with DAZN," Hearn told iFL TV. "So Dana actually had two cease-and-desists, one from Golden Boy and Oscar de la Hoya and one from DAZN."
Zuffa Boxing’s Ambitious Foray into Boxing
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Dana White, renowned for his instrumental role in transforming the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) into a global mixed martial arts (MMA) powerhouse, has made no secret of his ambition to replicate that success, or at least carve out a significant stake, in professional boxing. Under the banner of Zuffa Boxing, named after the former parent company of the UFC, White has indicated a desire to disrupt the sport’s traditional promotional model, which he has frequently criticized. His entry, however, has been met with skepticism and resistance from veteran boxing figures who emphasize the sport’s unique, often fragmented, promotional and broadcast ecosystem.
The proposed matchup between Ryan Garcia and Conor Benn represents a high-profile target for Zuffa Boxing’s initial ventures. Both fighters command significant fan bases and possess compelling narratives. Ryan "King Ry" Garcia (24-1, 20 KOs), a dynamic offensive fighter with a substantial social media following, recently secured a victory over Oscar Duarte following his high-stakes loss to Gervonta "Tank" Davis in April 2023, which garnered significant pay-per-view numbers. Garcia’s appeal makes him a coveted asset for any promoter or broadcaster.
Conor "The Destroyer" Benn (23-0, 14 KOs), the son of boxing legend Nigel Benn, has also built an impressive record. However, his career has been punctuated by controversy stemming from failed drug tests in 2022, which led to the cancellation of his highly anticipated bout against Chris Eubank Jr. Benn has since returned to the ring, securing wins against Rodolfo Orozco in September 2023 and Peter Dobson in February 2024, but the specter of his past drug test issues continues to loom over his career.
Contractual Hurdles: Golden Boy and DAZN’s Stance
The initial cease-and-desist from Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions underscored the fundamental principle of respecting existing fighter contracts within boxing. Garcia is exclusively promoted by Golden Boy, a relationship that legally binds him to their promotional control. Any external entity wishing to engage Garcia in a fight must first negotiate and secure agreement with Golden Boy, typically resulting in a co-promotional arrangement. Hearn explicitly referenced this necessity, stating, "if you want to make Conor Benn against Ryan Garcia, Oscar de la Hoya and Golden Boy are going to be a co-promoter, your co-promotional partner. So you better drop the ego and understand that when you’re doing the press conference, Oscar de la Hoya will be up there on the stage with you."
The subsequent cease-and-desist from DAZN adds another critical layer of complexity. DAZN has invested heavily in boxing, securing exclusive broadcast rights with numerous top fighters and promoters, including Ryan Garcia and Matchroom Boxing. These exclusive deals are the backbone of their subscription-based model, ensuring that marquee fights are available solely on their platform within designated territories. White’s alleged direct engagement with Garcia, bypassing DAZN, constitutes a direct infringement on these contractual agreements.
Hearn drew parallels to situations where Matchroom fighters, under exclusive DAZN deals, have appeared on other platforms, emphasizing that such arrangements are typically the result of extensive negotiation and mutual agreement, not unilateral action. "I have fighters that are under exclusive contracts with DAZN, who have fought on Netflix, and it has been a very difficult conversation to have with my broadcast partner, but after some negotiation and some sensible conversation, we were able to find a solution where Katie Taylor boxed on Netflix twice. In a bigger scenario, Anthony Joshua, who’s under an exclusive broadcast deal with DAZN, fought Jake Paul on Netflix, there was a negotiation, everybody was happy, and we move forward." This demonstrates that while cross-platform appearances are possible, they require the consent and cooperation of all contracted parties.
A Clash of Business Models and Egos
Hearn further elaborated on the inherent differences between the operational models of boxing and MMA, particularly as it pertains to White’s approach. Speaking on a DAZN podcast, Hearn criticized what he perceived as "pure arrogance from Zuffa Boxing and Dana White, who seem to be attracting a different lawsuit every week at the moment in boxing." He continued, "the issue is—and I said this for these guys going in—they can’t control, these guys are control freaks. In the UFC world, they come in, they can manipulate things, they can dominate people, they can force fighters’ hands to do things. It doesn’t work like that in boxing."
This assessment highlights a core tension: the UFC’s highly centralized, promoter-dominant structure versus boxing’s more decentralized, often fighter-centric (at the top levels) and promoter-fragmented landscape. In the UFC, fighters are employees of the promotion, bound by extensive contracts that grant the organization significant control over their careers, matchups, and media appearances. Boxing, by contrast, often involves a web of promotional, management, and broadcast contracts, requiring intricate negotiations and co-promotional agreements to stage major fights.
Adding another dimension to the ongoing verbal sparring, Dana White recently made public comments critical of DAZN, questioning the streaming service’s viewership in the United States. Hearn swiftly countered this assertion, pointing out what he termed White’s apparent oversight or selective memory regarding UFC’s own international broadcast partnerships. "This is how much Dana’s head is completely fallen off," Hearn remarked. "He comes out yesterday and starts slagging off DAZN. ‘DAZN, who even watches DAZN? This is a joke, all these promoters getting together on DAZN.’ The UFC has broadcast contracts with DAZN in key international markets and he’s like—I don’t even think he knows that, to be honest with you."
Implications for the Proposed Bout and Zuffa Boxing’s Future
The issuance of two distinct cease-and-desist orders significantly complicates any immediate prospects for a Ryan Garcia vs. Conor Benn fight under Zuffa Boxing’s direct control. A cease-and-desist letter serves as a legal warning, demanding that the recipient stop an alleged illegal activity. Should Zuffa Boxing disregard these directives and continue negotiations or attempts to stage the fight without the consent of Golden Boy and DAZN, it could face more severe legal consequences, including injunctions and lawsuits for breach of contract or tortious interference.
The situation underscores the steep learning curve for any entity attempting to enter the complex world of boxing promotion, particularly one accustomed to the more centralized control of MMA. For Zuffa Boxing, navigating this intricate web of contractual obligations, established relationships, and legal precedents will be crucial to its long-term viability and credibility within the sport. The proposed Garcia-Benn bout, while highly anticipated by fans, now finds itself entangled in a legal and promotional quagmire, its future dependent on either a significant shift in approach from Dana White or a successful resolution of these contractual disputes through negotiation or litigation. The ongoing "turf war" in combat sports appears far from over, with this latest development marking a significant escalation in the battle for promotional supremacy.
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