Dana White reveals UFC White House plan for Fury-Joshua announcement fell apart due to 'f*ckery'

Dana White has revealed that Tyson Fury’s appearance at UFC Freedom 250 on the South Lawn of the White House this summer was supposed to serve as the official announcement platform for Fury vs. Anthony Joshua — a plan that collapsed due to what White described only as “a lot of f*ckery.”

The heavyweight boxing match is now confirmed for December at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales, with White and his team co-promoting and producing the event alongside Eddie Hearn and Frank Warren. Speaking with Pat McAfee on Tuesday, White said ticket sales have been overwhelming.

“We’re promoting and producing the fight,” White said. “It’s at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales, and I’m excited that I get to be there. It’s basically already sold out. When we launched tickets on sale, it was less than 700 left, which is basically considered a sellout. So it just goes to show that people are interested and care about this fight.”

Fury was present at UFC Freedom 250 and even appeared briefly on camera, prompting widespread expectation that a formal announcement was imminent. It never came, leaving an awkward moment that White has now explained — albeit without naming the specific obstacles.

“Yeah. Fckery [happened]. A lot of fckery has gone on since then,” White said. “And here we are. We finally got here. I knew these types of things were going to happen when I got involved in the sport of boxing.”

One of the more public disputes centred on venue. Joshua and Hearn pushed firmly for the fight to remain in the United Kingdom, while White lobbied for Madison Square Garden. That argument was settled in Joshua and Hearn’s favour, and White acknowledged the decision has proven commercially sound.

“If you guys have never seen a fight in the U.K. — sporting events period in the U.K. are just different,” White said. “This is the biggest heavyweight fight ever in England, so I expect this to be really special live. It’s just one of those things where generational guys are finally fighting, and it’s going to be split. You’re gonna have the A.J. fans, the Fury fans, and I guarantee you the arena is going to be electric that night.”

White also appeared to draw a line under his well-documented friction with Hearn, noting that whatever tensions existed between them, the fight sold out and the promotion has moved forward. The December card represents one of the most anticipated heavyweight matchups in years, a contest that has been discussed, delayed, and derailed so many times that its confirmation alone has generated significant commercial momentum.