Dana White gives first response to Tom Aspinall signing shock deal with Eddie Hearn

Dana White isn’t concerned by UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall’s decision to sign with Eddie Hearn.

UFC kingpin White signed Hearn’s long-term charge Conor Benn to a one-fight deal with his new promotion Zuffa Boxing, which stoked an already fiery rivalry between the pair.

Matchroom

But it was announced in stunning circumstances that Hearn had got his own back by getting Aspinall to ink a deal.

It will see him in a managerial and advisory role for Aspinall’s career, as opposed to see him become a part of the Matchroom Boxing stable.

Of course, it could become increasingly difficult for the current title holder to get deals over the line, given the friction between the two parties.

But White isn’t going to hold a grudge, and expects things to remain the same moving forward.

He reacted: “We don’t have any issues with Eddie.

“They can get whoever they want to represent them – Tito Ortiz used to represent people and we got it done!”

On his relationship with Aspinall, he added to Piers Morgan Uncensored: “He’s still my heavyweight champion.

“The company has talked to him, I haven’t talked to him but Tom and I obviously need to talk.

“He and his dad came out recently and said that they felt like I had sort of s— on them in the way that I had spoke about his eye injury, which was positively not the case.

“Tom Aspinall is a guy that I respect, he’s been great to work with the whole time he’s been here.

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“Never once did I question his injury or speak negatively about it. They thought I had knocked him in some way, which I absolutely, positively didn’t and wouldn’t, I like him very much and respect him.”

Why has Aspinall signed with Hearn?

For Aspinall, he is looking to try and move forward after having a double eye surgery, having sustained injuries via eye poke from Cyril Gane in their title clash last October.

He is hoping to try and make a comeback later in the year, but has yet to deliver a definitive update on his future.

And when he does return, he wants to make his career as commercially viable as possible.

He said: “I have signed with Eddie Hearn and Matchroom on a commercial advisory deal.

“I wanted to add to my value. Eddie’s someone that I’ve known for a fair bit, I trust Eddie.

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“I wanna make as much money and grow commercially as much as possible.

“Obviously, we’re still recovering, but I’m looking to get back in there as soon as possible.”

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