Tom Aspinall turned massive heads recently after he signed with Eddie Hearn’s talent agency. From now on, the British promoter will manage the UFC heavyweight champion and oversee his commercial deals and brand partnerships with the UFC. But when Hearn actually got to see the English MMA star’s last payouts from Dana White’s promotion, he was surprised by how low the payment was.  

“I’ve been able to read those contracts, and I’ve been able to talk to him about the purses that he’s received,” Hearn told Boxing News. “The reality is that when he was headlining in front of 20,000 on pay-per-view, he was receiving probably half the amount of money that I would pay a boxer for a British title fight at York Hall, Bethnal Green, in front of 1,200 people.

“I was absolutely baffled and astonished. Completely unfair,” he added.   

Well, Eddie Hearn didn’t actually reveal how much the UFC paid Tom Aspinall for fighting under the PPV system. But we can definitely make an estimate. For defending his interim belt against Curtis Blaydes at UFC 304, the Manchester native reportedly earned $500,000 in addition to PPV points. And although Aspinall’s purse for fighting Ciryl Gane at UFC 321 isn’t publicly known, it could realistically reach at least a million dollars.  

In the UFC, reaching a million-dollar payday is often considered a major milestone, as most fighters only touch that figure once they become champions. However, compared to what boxing champions receive, it is still a much smaller amount. Many fans believe the difference in pay exists because the two sports operate as very different businesses.

Even so, Dana White’s Zuffa Boxing reportedly paying Conor Benn $15 million for a single fight has raised an obvious question: will UFC champions ever match that level? 

As the debate heats up, several UFC stars like Sean O’Malley, Israel Adesanya, and Michael Page have spoken about not receiving that level of treatment from the company. It’s true that these fighters did not describe their payments as outright “baffling” as Eddie Hearn did. But their comments still hinted at frustration over star power being underpaid, a point the British promoter also raised while discussing Tom Aspinall’s contracts.  

Now, as Hearn and the UFC’s keeps getting heated, Dana White has publicly addressed the beef with the veteran promoter.   

Dana White shares thoughts on Eddie Hearn representing Tom Aspinall  

Following the UFC CEO signing Conor Benn under the Zuffa Boxing banner, many fans believed Dana White had gained an edge by bringing in Matchroom Boxing’s coveted star. But that narrative quickly shifted after English promoter Eddie Hearn forged an alliance with the UFC’s heavyweight champion, Tom Aspinall.

Because of their managerial agreement, many believed Aspinall could face difficulties negotiating deals with the UFC while having one of White’s rivals in his corner. However, the UFC CEO pointed to Tito Ortiz’s past role as a manager to suggest the promotion has handled similar situations before and can do so again, even with Hearn negotiating from the other side.

“We don’t have any issues with Eddie,” White said during the UFC 326 pre-fight press conference. “They can get whoever they want to represent them. Tito Ortiz used to represent people and we got it done,” he concluded.

It’s true that Dana White successfully struck deals in the past when former UFC star Tito Ortiz represented fighters. The two shared a rocky relationship back then, which still remains unresolved in many ways. That history made it surprising for fans that both sides managed to reach agreements despite their personal differences. 

But as the UFC CEO now prepares for negotiations with Eddie Hearn, it would not be a stretch to say the process could become more challenging when dealing with a seasoned promoter like the Englishman.

That said, what do you think will happen next between Tom Aspinall and the UFC now that Eddie Hearn is on board? Let us know in the comments section below.