Eddie Hearn claims he won’t let Tom Aspinall fight on current UFC contract

Tom Aspinall's path back to UFC heavyweight title action is increasingly uncertain, with his new manager Eddie Hearn drawing a line over contract terms. Hearn has stated publicly that he will not permit Aspinall to fight under his current deal, citing grossly unfavorable financial terms.

Aspinall remains sidelined with an eye injury sustained during his title defense against Ciryl Gane at UFC 320 last October, which ended in a no-contest after a double eye poke in round one. While the champion recovers, Alex Pereira and Gane are scheduled to compete for the interim heavyweight title at UFC White House: Freedom 250 on June 14; the winner is expected to face Aspinall in a unification bout.

Hearn told Bloody Elbow that Aspinall's contract would pay him approximately 1/50th of the event revenue he would generate in a title unifier. "I'm not gonna let Tom Aspinall fight for the kind of money that's in his contract," Hearn said, emphasizing that Aspinall endured four eye surgeries and nearly lost his vision, making a below-market payday unacceptable. He vowed to block the fight unless a new deal is negotiated.

Aspinall's relationship with the UFC has deteriorated since UFC 320. Dana White appeared disappointed when Aspinall withdrew due to vision compromise, and Aspinall subsequently signed with Hearn—a longtime rival of White—shortly after. The standoff highlights growing fighter pushback over compensation in major title matchups.