UFC president Dana White responded to Tom Aspinall’s manager, Eddie Hearn, about releasing the UFC heavyweight champion.
Hearn recently said that he wants Aspinall released from the UFC, claiming the heavyweight champion is “underpaid” and “unhappy.”
Days after Hearn’s request was made public, White has responded to the famed boxing promoter for Matchroom Sport.
Dana White Responds to Eddie Hearn Asking for Tom Aspinall’s Release
Following Saturday’s Zuffa Boxing event in England, White was asked about Hearn’s request for him to release Aspinall from his UFC contract, and here’s what White said.
“He said he wanted (Aspinall) released, right? You release Bam Rodriguez, then. Sounds pretty stupid, doesn’t it? Congratulations again Eddie, you sound stupid again,” White said.
Based on these comments from White, it doesn’t sound like Aspinall is going to be released anytime soon, and that shouldn’t surprise anyone, since he’s the UFC heavyweight champion and he’s under contract with the world’s leading MMA promotion.
Ultimately, you just hope that the UFC and Aspinall can come together on a common resolution to get him back into the Octagon, as he’s one of the best MMA fighters in the world. But, clearly, there is a big gap between the two sides for that to happen.
Interim Heavyweight Belt on the Line at UFC Freedom 250
The interim UFC heavyweight title is on the line next Sunday at UFC Freedom 250 when Alex Pereira takes on Ciryl Gane. The hope is that the winner of that bout will take on Aspinall later this year to unify the belts.
The betting odds for this fight are close, as they have been hovering around a Pick ’em since they opened up. Ultimately, it’s a very difficult fight to predict, as both fighters have a path to victory here, with Pereira having the knockout power and Gane having the movement and the experience at the UFC’s heaviest weight class.
Again, the hope is that the UFC can book the winner of this interim title bout against Aspinall later this year, though, of course, White and Hearn will have to come together and sign a contract for Aspinall’s next fight. At this point, it doesn’t feel like the two sides can come to a common resolution on the matter, as White believes he has Aspinall under contract already, while Aspinall and his new manager, Hearn, think he should get more money.
While the UFC could potentially sign Aspinall to a new contract that gives him more money, it doesn’t feel like White will want to get “beaten” by Hearn and Aspinall in the contract negotiations, so we’ll see if that happens. Aspinall is the UFC’s best heavyweight, so the hope is that they can get this fight booked very soon, as the fans are the ones who are ultimately missing out on seeing the big Brit step into the cage and fight. But if he’s unhappy, then it won’t be easy to get him back into the cage, though the hope is that White and Hearn can mend fences and get Aspinall back in the Octagon.
Dana White Responds to Eddie Hearn About Releasing Aspinall