Eddie Hearn dares Dana White to release Tom Aspinall from UFC contract

Eddie Hearn has issued a fresh challenge to Dana White, calling on the UFC president to release heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall from his UFC contract. Hearn, the Matchroom boxing promoter, has managed Aspinall through his Matchroom Talent Agency and argues that if White truly had the fighter's best interests at heart, he would allow Aspinall to explore opportunities elsewhere.

The two executives have clashed repeatedly in recent months, with White promoting his newly launched Zuffa Boxing venture as a transformative force in combat sports, while Hearn has publicly dismissed its significance. Their rivalry intensified to the point where both men discussed the possibility of fighting each other, though White later retreated from that proposal—a development Hearn acknowledged with some disappointment.

Hearn's latest salvo represents an escalation in the ongoing boardroom battle between the two powerbrokers. By pressuring White to release Aspinall, Hearn is attempting to leverage the heavyweight champion as a symbol of his argument that fighters should have greater freedom to maximize their earning potential and career options. Aspinall, as the reigning UFC heavyweight titleholder, represents significant commercial value in combat sports, making him a high-stakes pawn in the broader dispute over fighter autonomy and management rights. The move underscores the growing tension between traditional boxing promotion and MMA's established power structure.