Eddie Hearn is at the top of his game as one of the biggest promoters in boxing, but even the Matchroom Boxing supremo admitted that he was a little bit starstruck when he first met UFC president Dana White in Las Vegas.
Chatting to TNT Sports ahead of the "Day of Reckoning" boxing card in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia that features his star client, former world champion Anthony Joshua, Hearn played a game where he recalled his first meetings with a host of famous names depicted in Polaroid-style photos.
Hearn chatted about his time meeting England soccer legend Wayne Rooney, NBA hero Steph Curry, and pop superstar Justin Bieber, but his most detailed response came when he turned over a photo of him with UFC boss White.
"You know, the funny thing there is I think both myself and Dana White are probably 12 or 15 kilos lighter now than we were in that picture!" he grinned.
"That was the first time I ever met Dana White. That (photo) was before the Danny Jacobs against Canelo (Alvarez) fight and that's in the UFC Gym in Las Vegas.
"I was ... a little bit in awe of Dana White. A big role model of mine in terms of the business, the UFC business, the gym, their facilities, they're incredible. And that day I met him, and his son was actually on the pads in the gym. And he came over and said hello. And he said, 'Let me give you a tour of the facilities there'.
"I got in his car, went over to the UFC arena that was being built at the time across the road. He took me all around the UFC headquarters and I won't forget that. Top man, and when he invited me to UFC London, I sat right next to him, literally two inches from the cage. One of the best nights I've seen in live sport. Great promoter, great businessman, top boy."
Hearn also said that he was a big fan of the business model adopted by the UFC, which sees the fighters centrally contracted under one promotional roof, rather than the more fragmented model seen in boxing.
"We're all jealous of the format that the UFC has," he admitted.
"Which is, 'Here's your contract, fight one fight, two fights, three fights, four fights, and you'll be told who you're fighting, and when, and we'll see you there.'
"Imagine if we worked in a sport where you could say, 'Right, you against you, February 12, see you there!'
"No negotiations, no managers, no advisors, no lawyers trying to get in the way and stop what we all want, which is great fights – and the UFC delivers them every time."
Hearn also recalled his first meeting with UFC superstar Conor McGregor, who teamed up with Hearn's Matchroom promotion on Katie Taylor's first bout with Chantelle Cameron earlier this year.
"I first met Conor McGregor, actually, in Boston at a Katie Taylor fight about four or five years ago now," he said.
"And (we) recently linked up with Forged Irish Stout, one of his brands, at the Katie Taylor-Chantelle Cameron fight in Dublin.
"What a wild experience down in his pub in Dublin. What a top man, what a character. We speak every week, sometimes most days, about boxing, about fights coming up.
"He supports a lot of our fighters and (he's) a massive supporter of Katie Taylor. He had his opinion on Dillon Danis against Logan Paul, he was talking to me about Ngannou against Tyson Fury. A massive boxing enthusiast, (he's) always got an opinion, and we always debate or argue. But he can box. He's one of the few guys in MMA who can really box."
