Fury and White tease 'massive' partnership as Joshua fight edges closer

Tyson Fury turned up unannounced at the UFC’s White House event on Sunday, walking out from the Oval Office to the South Lawn octagon for a cageside chat that raised more questions than it answered — but pointed clearly toward a partnership with UFC CEO Dana White and his Zuffa Boxing banner.

Fury declined to spell out the details, instead directing attention to White. “I think I’m going to let Dana do the speaking,” Fury told commentator Jon Anik. “I’ll let him do his announcement… It’s a massive, massive announcement.”

White, speaking at the post-fight press conference, was equally tight-lipped but used the moment to take aim at rival promoter Eddie Hearn, who has publicly downplayed White’s involvement in any potential Fury vs. Anthony Joshua deal. “For the last couple of weeks I’ve been hearing from the media and other people that I’m not involved in the fight,” White said. “I’ve been hearing that Tyson Fury couldn’t get out of the country and couldn’t get into the United States and it just seems like everybody’s always wrong.”

White’s comment was a pointed reference to reports that Fury has faced travel restrictions to the United States linked to his past associations with alleged Irish crime boss Daniel Kinahan. Fury’s presence in Washington on Sunday did not go unnoticed in that context.

Fury himself was bullish on the Joshua fight finally materialising after more than a decade of near-misses. “It’s been over a decade in the making,” he said. “For whatever reason it hasn’t happened before. Let’s hope it happens right now, very soon. Potential fight in August and maybe at the end of the year it happens.”

The August date is understood to refer to a tune-up bout, potentially under the Zuffa Boxing banner, with the Joshua showdown pencilled in for late 2026. When asked directly whether he would end up working with White, Fury stopped short of confirming it but left little room for doubt. “One hundred percent potential, for sure,” he said.

The appearance adds weight to White’s claims of involvement in one of boxing’s most anticipated fights, even as Hearn continues to dispute them.