Promoter Eddie Hearn, who now manages Tom Aspinall, has requested that Dana White release Aspinall from his UFC contract. Hearn described Aspinall's deal as one of the worst in the organization, comparable to the lowest-paid fighters. Hearn and White have a well-known contentious relationship.
Eddie Hearn, who recently took on a management role for Tom Aspinall, has formally asked UFC president Dana White to release the heavyweight champion from his current contract, calling the deal among the worst in the promotion.
Aspinall, 33, holds the UFC Heavyweight Championship and carries a professional record of 15 wins and 3 losses. The Wigan-born fighter, who trains out of Team Kaobon, stands six-foot-five with a 78-inch reach and has established himself as one of the most dynamic heavyweights in the sport. He currently sits sixth in the pound-for-pound rankings, a position that makes the contract dispute all the more striking. Aspinall lands an exceptional 7.63 significant strikes per minute at a 67 percent accuracy rate, and adds 2.62 takedowns per 15 minutes, making him a well-rounded threat across all phases.
Hearn, whose relationship with White has long been publicly fractious given their respective roles in boxing and MMA, characterized Aspinall's financial arrangement as comparable to that of the lowest-paid fighters on the UFC roster. The promoter has now made a direct appeal to White to cut ties with the contract and allow Aspinall to negotiate fresh terms.
Why it matters
- Aspinall is the reigning UFC Heavyweight Champion and ranked sixth pound-for-pound, making his compensation a significant organizational talking point
- The dispute puts the UFC's treatment of one of its most marketable champions under public scrutiny
- Hearn's adversarial history with White adds an additional layer of tension to what is already a high-profile contract standoff
- The outcome could influence how other top-ranked UFC fighters approach their own contract situations
