Eddie Hearn revives Dana White feud with controversial Tom Aspinall claim before UFC London

Matchroom Boxing chief Eddie Hearn has slammed Dana White’s treatment of UFC fighters, branding Tom Aspinall’s current contract a “f***ing disgrace”.

White and Hearn have been at loggerheads since the UFC president signed Conor Benn to his new boxing promotion, Zuffa, with the fighter having previously worked with the British promoter for a decade.

Hearn explained that he was not informed of Zuffa’s approaches and found out through a lawyer’s letter, before Benn refused to speak to him when he requested a phone call with the fighter.

White responded by calling Hearn a “p****” who “works for his dad”.

Of course, Eddie inherited Matchroom from his father, Barry, who founded the company, although the younger Hearn has taken the promotion to another level since taking charge.

As White ventures into the world of boxing, Hearn announced that he had signed UFC heavyweight champion Aspinall to his new talent agency, which he claims will “nurture athletes’ careers by managing their brand and building their reputations”.

Eddie Hearn and Tom Aspinall (Credit:Getty)

The deal is said to be “commercial and advisory”, while the fighter remains under contract with the UFC as he recovers from an eye injury sustained against Ciryl Gane in October.

Hearn previously claimed that White humiliated Aspinall with comments about his eye injury, after the American suggested the UFC heavyweight champion “didn’t want to continue” following the incident.

Now, ahead of UFC London, which will take place on Saturday (21 March), Hearn has taken another dig at White’s treatment of fighters, again branding Aspinall’s UFC contract a “f***ing disgrace”.

Speaking to Pro Boxing Fans yesterday (20 March), Hearn said: “I’m going to bite my tongue a little bit, for now.

“But what I will tell you is his contract is a f***ing disgrace. Right? A disgrace.

“I cannot believe the money that he’s on when you look at the commercial revenue that his fight would generate against Pereira, or against Gane in a rematch.

“Honestly, if I’m Tom Aspinall, I’m looking at that contract, and I go, ‘I don’t even think you should f***ing bother me.’

“But he wants to come back. He wants to rematch Gane. He wants to fight Pereira. He wants to defend his world heavyweight title.

“By the time you pay your tax and pay your team, there’s no f***ing point in even fighting.

“Especially when you’ve had four operations after your eyes got gouged out.”

It remains unclear when Aspinall will return to the Octagon.