Eddie Hearn sees UFC as ‘poor relative’ to boxing

Joel Angel Juarez/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK

MMA, particularly the UFC, is often described as a mile wide and an inch deep in terms of popularity.

While sports megastars like Conor McGregor and Ronda Rousey have become household names, your average UFC star, or even champion, doesn't make the cut.

Unfortunately, this is the case in a promotion where individuality has been watered down in favor of a stronger brand identity and more streamlined production. In the UFC, the brand often eclipses the athletes themselves.

William Purnell-Imagn Images

Boxing's Eddie Hearn can't name six UFC superstars

Popular boxing promoter Eddie Hearn hit the nail on the head in his recent assessment of the UFC.

Speaking to Ariel Helwani, Hearn said, "Boxing's on fire right now. It's controlling all the narrative, digitally. . . . MMA is a poor relative.

"[...] If you said to me now, 'Name me six UFC superstars,' I couldn't do it. . . . The problem is with UFC is that they always want the brand to be bigger than that of the fighter. When a star like Conor McGregor comes in, everything changes and I don't think they really like that.

"[...] I think Dana coming into boxing is gonna be brilliant for boxing. . . . Call me deluded or whatever, but those guys, in my opinion, wouldn't be able to lace my boots in boxing promotion. [As a business, they're] unbelievable, but this is different."

"If you said to me, name me 6 UFC superstars... I couldn't do it. The problem is with UFC, I feel like they always want the brand to be bigger than that of the fighter."

Eddie Hearn on the current state of UFC. pic.twitter.com/WroMBstm5w

— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) April 29, 2025

Hearn will soon be competing with Dana White and Turki Alalshikh as they enter with TKO Boxing. There are concerns that they will try to 'amend' the Muhammad Ali Act in order to distribute their own belts.

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