Former UFC bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley has chimed in with his take on the deal between Tom Aspinall and Eddie Hearn. In early March, the UFC heavyweight champion became the inaugural client of Hearn’s Matchroom Talent Agency, which focuses on managing various celebrities rather than promoting them. However, there was a specific reason the deal sent shockwaves in the MMA community.

UFC CEO Dana White, Aspinall’s boss, was in an ongoing war with Hearn, having stolen Conor Benn from Matchroom Boxing just weeks prior. White reportedly signed a $15 million deal with Benn to fight on a Zuffa Boxing card. This, obviously, escalated tensions between Hearn and White. So, Sean O’Malley has warned ‘The Honey Badger’ of the consequences of his decision to work with the man White appears to be in war with.

Sean O’Malley doesn’t want to make enemies in the UFC

“You don’t want to make enemies with UFC,” O’Malley told Ariel Helwani. “I don’t get what people are doing. And I saw Tom Aspinall signed with [the] Hearn dude. I don’t really know if that’s a great idea either. You’re going to have someone manage you who Dana doesn’t really like. That didn’t seem very smart, but I’m not that smart. But that’s how I see it.”

It’s worth noting that Sean O’Malley was recently selected to feature on the White House card, scheduled to unfold on June 14, at the White House lawn. The former bantamweight champion is facing Aiemann Zahab on the undercard of Ilia Topuria vs. Justin Gaethje. Regardless, what’s even more interesting is that ‘Suga’ has his own way of making more money without siding with Dana White’s enemies. 

Before his take on the Aspinall-Hearn deal, O’Malley highlighted how he expects to make more money. 

“The whole fighter pay thing, it’s like everyone wants to make more money [with] whatever they’re doing,” O’Malley said. “I have a good relationship with the UFC, and I’m happy, I’m honored that they asked me to be on the White House card. It’s going to be huge for me… I’m going to make some money, whatever. But I’m going to go out there and build the ‘Sugar’ brand. 

“I want to go out there, put on a beautiful performance, knock people out, have people remember me, and hopefully that flows into making more money outside the UFC and doing different kinds of brand deals.”

Not that long ago, O’Malley was baffled by the reported deal between Zuffa Boxing and Conor Benn. ‘Sugar’ couldn’t believe Dana White agreed to pay the English boxer $15 million for one fight, especially since he claimed no one knows who Benn is in the US. He complained about his own pay in the UFC, revealing that despite being the promotion’s biggest star, he hasn’t made $15 million. 

And since UFC fighter pay is the subject, Eddie Hearn recently went through Tom Aspinall’s paychecks from the UFC.

Eddie Hearn can’t believe what the UFC was paying Tom Aspinall

Eddie Hearn has already started working on making Aspinall’s life better. And this doesn’t bode well for Dana White. Speaking to Ariel Helwani, Hearn claims to have been stunned when he reviewed Tom Aspinall’s contract with UFC. Apparently, Aspinall’s paychecks aren’t big enough for the work the heavyweight has been doing. 

“I’m going over his UFC contract… and I’m just sitting there, and I’m like, ‘I actually can’t believe what’s going on,’” Hearn said. “I actually can’t believe that you’ve had your eye virtually gouged out… you’ve had three operations, and you’re sitting there feeling sorry for yourself.”

Hearn compared Aspinall’s pay to boxing purses, saying the champion made “probably half the amount of money” he would pay someone to fight for a British title at York Hall. Now, Hearn says he’s ready to help Aspinall get what he “deserves.” 

It appears Hearn’s deal with Aspinall is the beginning of some big problems for the UFC. And Sean O’Malley sees it coming. But do you think it will escalate to a point where the parties end up on the courtroom floor?