UFC CEO Dana White has publicly fired back at boxing promoter Eddie Hearn, dismissing his challenge to release UFC Heavyweight Champion Tom Aspinall from his contract. The heated exchange marks the latest chapter in a growing rivalry between the two powerful figures in combat sports, with Aspinall’s future caught in the middle.
Hearn, who represents Aspinall, recently dared White to let the champion go, claiming the fighter is severely underpaid. Speaking to the media after a Zuffa Boxing event, White scoffed at the demand. “He said that he wanted him released, right?” White stated. “You release Bam Rodriguez then. Sounds pretty stupid, doesn’t it? Congratulations again, Eddy. You sound stupid again.”
White framed the dispute as hypocritical, referencing his recent signing of Conor Benn, a fighter long associated with Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing. ”If Eddie’s not going to let his fighter fight, what are you going to do?” White said. “You can’t make anybody fight. You can’t force anybody to fight. You have to want to fight. So, we’ll see how it plays out.”
He continued by directly questioning Hearn’s loyalty and business practices. “Eddie—who apparently, Benn was his best friend—He’s been crying, literally crying, for weeks. ‘Oh, you’re my best friend!’ He didn’t even want to pay him, but he wants to pay my guy. Could’ve paid his best friend, and they could’ve remained best friends,” White said, before adding, “Eddie’s full of a lot of shit. You know. I know it, you know it, we all know it.”
The promotional battle unfolds while Aspinall remains sidelined, recovering from an eye injury that required multiple surgeries. In his absence, the UFC has scheduled an interim heavyweight title fight between former light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira and former interim champion Ciryl Gane. Aspinall is expected to face the winner to unify the belts, though this public war of words between his promoter and his employer adds a complex layer to his eventual return.
