Promoters usually fight with contracts, not gloves. But lately, the back-and-forth between Dana White and Eddie Hearn has sounded less like business and more like a press conference for a real fight, especially ever since the UFC CEO launched Zuffa Boxing. The relationship between the two has clearly gone from friendly to awkward, and now to straight-up competitive.

Interviews turned into jabs, jabs went into callouts, and suddenly, the idea of the two punching each other doesn’t seem so insane. And there in the middle of it all is UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall, who has now signed with the boxing promoters’ newly created Matchroom Talent Agency but doesn’t seem too confident that his new manager would survive the matchup.

Tom Aspinall jokes Eddie Hearn could lose everything if he fights Dana White

During a recent Matchroom press conference, Tom Aspinall was asked the obvious question: if Dana White and Eddie Hearn actually boxed, who would win? An idea that would’ve seemed out of the box had Dana White not claimed he was willing to fight Eddie Hearn despite the size difference and decade age gap during an interview with Piers Morgan.

So, if it actually became a reality, who would the UFC fighter back? Well, his answer came with a laugh, but it still said a lot.

“Well, what do you think?” Aspinall responded.

Hearn stepped in and revealed what the champion had told him privately.

“He said to me, ‘If you get beat in there, the deal’s over,'” Hearn admitted.

The UFC heavyweight champion didn’t deny it either.

“I might have to go with someone else, mate,” he joked.

Eddie Hearn played along, even stating that he was going to recruit Tom’s father, Andy Aspinall, as his trainer; after all, he is nervous about this matchup. Why? Because he had seen Dana White spar before.

“I’ve seen Dana spar… he ain’t bad,” he confessed.

Despite the jokes, the boxing promoter insists he would take the fight if it became a reality. In a backstage interview, he doubled down on the idea.

“Of course I’d do it,” he said. “How could you say no? Then you’d be a p—-, wouldn’t you? By the way, Netflix would pay an absolute fortune, so I’d probably make a fortune to do it.

And if I got chinned, I get chinned. But I’d probably spark him out, to be fair.”

Right now, it’s just talk. However, with White entering boxing, Hearn signing big names, and both men clearly enjoying the rivalry, the idea of promoters resolving things in the ring no longer seems ridiculous.

And if it does happen, it would be interesting to see who Tom Aspinall actually ends up backing. But from the looks of it, it is going to be Hearn, especially considering how the UFC champion is bothered by Dana White clearly showing some extra love to Conor Benn.

Aspinall is bothered by White offering Conor Benn $15 million

That joke about picking sides hits a little different when money gets involved. And Tom Aspinall hasn’t hidden his dissatisfaction with the pay disparity between boxing and UFC fighters, especially after Dana White signed Conor Benn to a reported $15 million contract with Zuffa Boxing.

Speaking at the same Matchroom press conference, the UFC heavyweight champion stated that those numbers did not sit well with him. In fact, he claimed that the situation is one of the reasons he started looking for options outside of the usual UFC structure.

“I mean, I think it’s bothered everybody,” Aspinall said. “If one guy is being paid $15 million and the other is getting $15,000, that’s pretty different.

Which is part of the reason I want to explore other options.”

That resentment also explains why he recently signed with Eddie Hearn’s talent agency. It was more than just business; it was about leverage. When you put it into context, his joke about backing Hearn over White suddenly sounds a lot less like humor and a lot more like honesty.