Ariel Helwani says other MMA fighters will sign with Eddie Hearn after Tom Aspinall deal

Tom Aspinall won't be the only MMA fighter to sign with Eddie Hearn's newly established Matchroom Talent Agency, according to Ariel Helwani.

Hearn and UFC president Dana White could effectively do business with each other in the coming months after it was announced on Thursday that Aspinall has signed a commercial and advisory deal with Matchroom.

In short, Hearn and his team will be handling Aspinall's business dealings, both inside and outside of the octagon, but the Salford-born fighter will continue to fight in the UFC.

"He has a contract with the UFC, so this isn’t about bringing him into boxing," Hearn reiterated.

"This is about commercial representation and an advisory role to support him across all of his business interests. From everything I hear, he could go into boxing and do serious damage, but it’s not on the short-term agenda."

The newly-launched agency claims it will "manage and service leading talent with care and loyalty" while "nurturing athletes’ careers by managing their brand and building their reputations."

Aspinall is officially the first member of the Matchroom Talent Agency but more clients from the world of mixed martial arts are expected to be announced in time, according to MMA journalist Ariel Helwani.

Helwani says he asked if any other MMA fighters would be added to Matchroom Sport’s new talent agency and Hearn said yes, but didn’t reveal any other names.

"It is very interesting," added Helwani on Thursday's episode of The Ariel Helwani Show. "Not a move that I expected."

Helwani also gave his thoughts on Aspinall's latest move.

"A unique thing about Tom Aspinall is that he has not had a manager. And trust me, every manager under the sun has tried to sign him. He’s had his dad represent him," he said on X.

"Some way, somehow, Eddie convinced him that he would be the best guy and that he’s well suited to negotiate.

"After one announcement, Eddie is now the most qualified manager in combat sports—maybe even overqualified, given what he’s done over the last 25 years."

In another post, Helwani said: "Here’s what’s going to be really interesting about Tom Aspinall signing with Eddie Hearn. There are times when the UFC calls up fighters and says, 'We’re not talking to your manager. If you want this fight, if you want this deal, you’re going to have to talk to us.'

"So the UFC could just say, 'We’re not talking to you.' Then Tom could say, 'Well, if you’re not talking to him, you’re not talking to me.' There’s going to be a game of chicken here."

He added: "Tom’s not a free agent. He’s the champion. We all know how long it takes to get out of a contract. So this is going to be a fascinating story to follow."