Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn has intensified his public critique of UFC fighter compensation, asserting he would have paid Tom Aspinall and Jon Jones “double” what the UFC offered for a superfight if they weren’t bound by exclusive contracts. As the new advisor to Aspinall, the Matchroom boss framed the reigning UFC heavyweight champion’s current deal as indicative of a wider pay discrepancy that the promotion “must” address.
Hearn Slams Aspinall’s UFC Contract, Vows to Outbid Promotion for Jones Bout
Hearn’s remarks emerged during an interview, where he discussed Aspinall’s situation and the highly anticipated, yet never formalized, fight between the Englishman and Jones. He stated that in a free-agent scenario, he would gladly promote Aspinall vs. Jones himself, offering both fighters “double what the UFC offered.” While Hearn didn’t disclose specific figures, recent discussions in combat sports media suggested Jones was seeking approximately $15–30 million for a clash with Aspinall, with reports of Saudi Arabian partners showing initial interest before negotiations stalled.
Aspinall, the current UFC heavyweight champion, recently became the inaugural client of Hearn’s new Matchroom Talent Agency, marking the boxing promoter’s expansion into MMA management. This partnership has swiftly become a platform for strong criticism of the UFC’s financial model, particularly regarding the earnings of main event fighters compared to the substantial revenue generated by their events. Hearn has repeatedly expressed disbelief at Aspinall’s current earnings, especially when considering the potential financial success of a title defense against someone like Alex Pereira or a rematch with Ciryl Gane.
Using a hypothetical heavyweight title defense against Pereira as an illustration, Hearn clearly articulated his financial frustration. He argued that if an event headlined by Aspinall generated $100 million, paying the champion only $1 million would be unacceptable. He strongly advocated for a greater share of revenue for top-tier athletes. For Hearn, these figures underscore his readiness to financially surpass the UFC for a high-profile crossover event, were it not for existing contractual barriers.
The situation surrounding Jon Jones’s side of this potential matchup has its own complex history. Throughout Jones’s tenure as UFC heavyweight champion, discussions about a unification bout with Aspinall never progressed beyond public exchanges and fan speculation. A persistent narrative surrounding these stalled talks highlighted that the UFC reportedly failed to meet Jones’s financial expectations, leading to an impasse despite rumored interest from external investors, including Saudi backers. Jones has since pursued his own fight schedule and priorities, with no official indication that he or the UFC plan to revisit the Aspinall fight in the near future.
Currently, an Aspinall vs. Jones bout remains a speculative “dream fight,” hindered by exclusive UFC contracts and conflicting priorities. However, Hearn’s public commitment to paying both fighters significantly more than the UFC, coupled with his new advisory role for Aspinall, is intensifying pressure on the ongoing dialogue about how much value the promotion truly shares with the fighters who drive its biggest events.
