Dana White Predicts Knockout Finish In Fury Vs Joshua Bout

UFC chief executive Dana White has predicted that the heavyweight clash between British rivals Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury will end in a knockout before the final bell.

White made the prediction in an interview with Sun Boxing, expressing excitement about the December 11 bout at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales. Although he declined to name his preferred winner, he expects the long-awaited showdown to produce an explosive finish.

“Going to be a great heavyweight fight. I do not see it going the distance. And I am happy that I get to be there live,” White said.

The American promoter also explained how he became involved in organising the bout, revealing that Saudi Arabian boxing powerbroker Turki Alalshikh and streaming platform Netflix approached him to join the project.

White admitted that he had initially been reluctant to get involved in boxing negotiations, despite his experience promoting the high-profile Floyd Mayweather versus Conor McGregor crossover fight in 2017.

“Turki wanted me to be a part of this thing. Netflix wanted me to be a part of this thing, and so I am. That is it,” he said.

“If they did not want me to be a part of it, you would not see me trying to fight my way into the AJ-Fury fight. I was asked to do this, and I accepted it.”

Despite his promotional rivalry with Matchroom Boxing chairman Eddie Hearn, White praised Hearn and Joshua for helping to keep the fight in the United Kingdom.

He noted that the bout could have generated substantial revenue at a major American venue such as Madison Square Garden in New York but said British fans deserved the opportunity to watch the heavyweight rivals compete on home soil.

“There are a lot of different forces involved in an event like this,” White said.

“With how many tickets are sold in Cardiff, as big as the arena is, it would have done very well at Madison Square Garden too. But you have to credit Eddie and AJ for fighting hard to keep it in the UK. This fight was going to do well wherever it was.”

The bout is expected to attract a global audience, with a reported record-breaking gate of $34 million and live international coverage on Netflix.