TLDR
- Eddie Hearn signed UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall to his new Matchroom Talent Agency last Friday
- Approximately a dozen UFC fighters have contacted Hearn seeking representation since the announcement
- The move follows Dana White’s Zuffa Boxing signing Conor Benn for a reported $15 million
- Hearn criticized UFC fighter pay, saying Aspinall makes less than small-venue boxers despite headlining major events
- Several high-profile UFC fighters have publicly questioned their pay following news of Benn’s boxing deal
Sources: sports.yahoo.com | sports.yahoo.com | mmafighting.com | sportbible.com
Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn says he plans to sign more UFC fighters to his new Matchroom Talent Agency after announcing a management deal with UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall last week. Hearn revealed that roughly a dozen UFC fighters have already contacted him seeking representation.
Hearn announced the deal with Aspinall on Friday in London, marking Matchroom’s first move into the MMA world. The agreement gives Hearn a commercial advisory role with Aspinall, though the fighter remains under contract with the UFC.
The move comes after UFC CEO Dana White signed Conor Benn away from Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing to compete for Zuffa Boxing, the UFC parent company TKO’s new boxing promotion. White reportedly paid Benn $15 million for one fight against Regis Prograis next month in London.
Aspinall Felt ‘Broken’ Before Signing
Hearn told The Ariel Helwani Show on Monday that he was shocked by Aspinall’s low confidence when they first spoke. The champion had been heavily criticized after his UFC 321 title fight against Ciryl Gane ended in a no-contest when Aspinall was poked in both eyes in the first round last October.
“The first conversation that we had, he actually said to me, ‘Why? Why are you interested in me?'” Hearn said. “He was just down in the dumps. The difference between that initial conversation and seeing him at the press conference last week was a completely different man.”
White was among those who publicly questioned whether Aspinall quit the fight rather than being forced to stop due to injury. Aspinall has since undergone three eye surgeries and has said he felt let down by his promoter.
Fighter Pay Becomes Central Issue
Hearn used Aspinall’s press conference to highlight the pay gap between UFC fighters and boxers. He said Aspinall earned less for headlining London’s O2 Arena and breaking gate records than some fighters make competing for British titles in small venues.
“If a fighter was generating that much revenue into a show, they would be making five, six, seven times more than they’re making in those UFC contracts,” Hearn said. “He’s making less money than probably half the amount of money that I would pay a guy to fight for the British title at York Hall, Bethnal Green, in front of 1,200 people.”
The $15 million deal for Benn has sparked public comments from several UFC fighters including Michael Page, Aljamain Sterling, Israel Adesanya and Sean O’Malley. They have questioned why they haven’t seen pay increases despite the UFC’s $7.7 billion seven-year media rights deal with Paramount.
Hearn said he believes many more UFC fighters are privately upset about the situation. He confirmed that Matchroom will sign additional UFC fighters in the coming months but declined to name specific athletes.
“We’re not going to sign all those guys, but we will be signing a handful more of UFC fighters, no doubt about it,” Hearn said. “Right now I look at the landscape, going, ‘This is crazy, what I’m seeing.’ It’s almost like a revolution.”
Hearn also said he would accept White’s challenge to box him, similar to White’s previous offer to fight Tito Ortiz years ago. “I’d probably make a fortune, and if I got chinned, I’ll get chinned,” Hearn told IFL TV. “But I’ll probably spark him out, to be fair.”
MMA journalist Ariel Helwani said other MMA fighters are expected to join Matchroom Talent Agency soon. He noted that Aspinall had never previously had a manager despite many attempts by managers to sign him, with his father handling representation instead.
