Eddie Hearn slams UFC pay structure, pushes Tom Aspinall raise

Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn has escalated his public feud with Dana White, claiming UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall receives only a fiftieth of the revenue generated by his title fights and deserves either a renegotiated contract or his release from the promotion.

Hearn, who serves as an adviser to Aspinall, told BoxingScene the British champion is unhappy with his current deal but understands he signed it. "When you're getting one-fiftieth of the revenue of a show to main event for the UFC heavyweight world championship, how can anybody possibly suggest that it's fair?" Hearn said, adding that after expenses and taxes, Aspinall clears nowhere near seven figures despite headlining events that generate tens of millions.

Aspinall's contract situation and UFC's treatment

The Matchroom boss suggested the UFC has frozen Aspinall out of promotional opportunities, pointing to the champion not receiving an invitation to UFC London and only getting a last-minute text an hour before the event despite living four hours away. Hearn also questioned why Aspinall was not ringside at Alex Pereira's June 15 bout against Ciryl Gane, a fight where the winner faces Aspinall next. "Can you imagine me having the heavyweight world champion, and there's a fight for the interim championship where the winner has to fight him and this guy's not even invited," Hearn said.

Hearn insisted he is not trying to pull Aspinall out of his UFC contract but contrasted the promotion's pay structure with Zuffa Boxing, White's new venture, where fighters reportedly earn multiples more despite smaller event revenues. "How can you have a situation where a fighter is making 15 times more than [Aspinall], yet there's a fifth of the revenue in the fight?" he said, per the report. Hearn claimed boxing advisers typically secure 80 percent of event revenue for fighters, while UFC's revenue split is far less favorable.

The promoter issued a challenge to the UFC: pay Aspinall fairly or release him to fight Francis Ngannou on Most Valuable Promotions' new MMA platform. "If you don't see the value in him, let him go," Hearn said, adding that an Aspinall-Ngannou matchup would be huge and earn the Brit ten times his current purse. Hearn has a call scheduled with Aspinall this week to discuss his options as the champion recovers from four eye surgeries following his October win over Gane.

Source: boxingscene.com