Conor Benn’s cope with Dana White’s Zuffa Boxing looks to have contributed to Tom Aspinall signing a business arrangement with Eddie Hearn.
The UFC president took the boxing world by storm in February by signing Benn to Zuffa Boxing in a one-fight deal price $15 million.
That move has faced backlash from many as a consequence of how the terms compare with UFC fighter pay, a hearth that was fueled by comments from White’s boxing rivals.
Aspinall subsequently signed with Hearn’s talent agency, and it will appear that frustration on the gulf between his earnings and that of boxing stars like Benn factored into his decision to finally seek management.
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Tom Aspinall admits being ‘bothered’ by how way more Conor Benn is earning
Aspinall’s business cope with Hearn has been widely seen as a move against White by the Matchroom Boxing chairman, after Benn was poached from him.
The UFC heavyweight champion has had his own issues with the American promoter, who gave an unsympathetic response to the attention injuries Aspinall suffered against Ciryl Gane in October 2025.
Nevertheless it appears that the Manchester native’s frustration goes beyond that.
During a Matchroom press conference with Hearn on Friday, Aspinall reacted to Benn’s $15 million deal and admitted being “bothered” by it.
“I mean, I feel it’s bothered everybody,” Aspinall said (h/t Chisanga Malata).
“If one guy is being paid $15 million and the opposite is getting $15,000, that’s pretty different. Which is an element of the explanation I would like to explore other options,” he added.
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In a YouTube video reacting to his cope with Hearn, Aspinall suggested the move surrounded a renewed concentrate on “value” in his profession.
“We’ve done most of my profession with the really small team that I’ve got, so I desired to add to my value,” Aspinall said.
“Eddie is someone I’ve known for a good bit, I trust Eddie, and I wanna make as much money and grow commercially as much as possible while I’m fighting.
“Obviously we’re still recovering, but I’m seeking to get back in there as soon as possible so I just wanna maximize the time I’ve got in the game, grow more commercially and expand my team a little bit bit and make it as big and powerful as possible,” he added.
In the meanwhile, Aspinall remains to be recovering from the double eye surgery he underwent earlier this 12 months.
All signs point toward a UFC return down the road, with Hearn shutting down Aspinall switching to boxing within the immediate future.