Eddie Hearn has made a weighted claim about the commercial value of his new partnership with UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall, saying the Manchester-born fighter will make more money through sponsorship and endorsement deals within his first two weeks at Matchroom Talent Agency than he earned from one of his four most recent UFC fights.
Hearn made the comments during an interview with iFL TV, speaking candidly about what the Matchroom machinery can deliver for a fighter he believes has been consistently undervalued off the back of his performances inside the octagon.
“We are closing in on a number of deals for Tom Aspinall,” Hearn said. “Commercial deals where I would say UFC fighters have got to understand the job that we’ll be doing. Tom Aspinall, having been with Matchroom Talent Agency for what will be 10 days to two weeks, he will make more money in commercial deals than he did for one of his recent fights. Within 10 days of working with Matchroom. One of his recent fights, in the last four fights.”
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He did not name a specific fight or disclose the value of the deals being closed. Aspinall’s recent fight earnings span a considerable range. His win over Marcin Tybura at UFC Fight Night London in July 2023 reportedly paid a base of around $210,000. A first-round finish of Sergei Pavlovich at UFC 295 in November 2023, which earned him the interim heavyweight title, brought in an estimated total of $682,000. His rematch with Curtis Blaydes at UFC 304 in Manchester in July 2024 netted somewhere in the region of $1.5 million once bonuses and pay-per-view revenue are factored in. Most recently, his first undisputed title defence against Ciryl Gane at UFC 321 in Abu Dhabi last October ended in a no-contest after an accidental double eye poke in the opening round, with final earnings unclear.
Aspinall was announced as the first signing to Matchroom Talent Agency on March 5, with a formal press conference held the following day at Battersea Power Station in London. The arrangement is described as a commercial and advisory deal. The two parties first connected via Zoom on February 26, with Aspinall and his father Andy flying to Monte Carlo just six days later to meet Hearn in person before the deal was finalised.
Hearn framed the partnership as a direct message to the wider UFC roster, arguing that fighters are missing a substantial income stream by not investing in the right commercial infrastructure. “Forget how well or how not well they’re paid because that’s a big debate at the moment,” Hearn told iFL TV. “That stuff has to be dealt with, but there’s stuff that you can control. Take the bull by the horns. Make yourself a bigger star. Look at other opportunities outside of the octagon. Bring revenue to the table. Raise the profile. Drive commercial deals. It’s not difficult for us to do because we’re the best in the game at all that kind of stuff and Tom is a big star.”
The agency has moved quickly. According to EssentiallySports, one early commercial placement already confirmed is Aspinall appearing as a pundit on DAZN for the Callum Smith vs. David Morrell fight in Liverpool on April 18. Hearn also confirmed to iFL TV that his team has reviewed Aspinall’s UFC contracts in full, stating he now “sits across” everything to understand what commercial and contractual flexibility exists. Six or seven Matchroom staff are reportedly working on Aspinall’s affairs exclusively at this stage.
Hearn was also quick to draw a distinction between the work he will do with MMA fighters and his role in boxing, where promoting and managing the same athlete would be a clear conflict of interest. He confirmed categorically that he will not be managing boxers. MMA fighters are a different matter, and he suggested that the Aspinall signing could be the beginning of a wider talent roster.
On whether he would sit across the table from the UFC in contract negotiations, Hearn acknowledged the sensitivity of his public rivalry with UFC CEO Dana White but left the door open. He told ESPN: “If we think that’s going to cause major friction, then maybe not… If Tom wants me to be at the table having those conversations, then yes. What we will do is, contractually, we’ll be across everything, and we will make the decision from the team’s perspective as to who will deal with what.”
Aspinall’s father, Andy, who handled fight negotiations throughout his son’s UFC career, remains a central part of the team. The Matchroom arrangement builds around that existing structure rather than replacing it.
The signing has a pointed backdrop. Hearn had recently lost long-time Matchroom boxer Conor Benn to Zuffa Boxing, Dana White’s new boxing venture. Aspinall, moving into the Matchroom fold, arrived in that same charged period, though the champion has made clear his motivation was straightforward: to get the most out of his position before his fighting window closes.
Aspinall explained what drew him to Hearn and CEO Frank Smith: “We’ve probably met just about everyone in the MMA space at this point. We’ve had meetings, had food, had a coffee, had a phone call, whatever. But something about Eddie and something about Frank and the whole team, they’re just… sometimes when you look across from somebody and spend real time with them, you just get a good feeling from them. And those are definitely my kind of people.”
Hearn, for his part, described a noticeable shift in Aspinall from simply being around the Matchroom environment. “He has never been spoiled and he’s never really experienced what he should experience, which is the best treatment in the world and the feeling of ‘you are a superstar,'” Hearn told iFL TV. “I think he felt like that last week and that translates into the gym, that translates into performances, and that translates in the way that you carry yourself.”
Aspinall is currently recovering from double eye surgery following his UFC 321 no-contest with Gane, after being diagnosed with bilateral traumatic Brown’s syndrome. He has provided positive updates in recent weeks and confirmed he expects to fight in 2026. At the Matchroom press conference he said his eyes are “moving in the right direction” but that he is still following doctors’ orders before returning to full training.
With Aspinall on the sidelines, the UFC has booked Alex Pereira and Ciryl Gane for the interim heavyweight title at UFC Freedom 250 on June 14 at the White House. On his YouTube channel, Aspinall reacted simply: “I mean, who else is going to fight? The division’s on its ass. There’s not many big fights to make, is there? So they’ve got to do what they’ve got to do. Obviously, I want to fight the winner of that. Just waiting now to get the green light, the all clear from the doctor to start training properly again.”
Whether Hearn’s commercial claims prove out in the weeks ahead, the intent is clear. Aspinall is a UFC heavyweight champion who, by Hearn’s own reading of the contracts, has been operating at a level of commercial exposure well below what his fighting record and profile merit. The Matchroom Talent Agency is betting it can fix that in a hurry.
