Dana White wants everyone to know things are copacetic with his now-former UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall.
Earlier this week, it was announced that Aspinall was vacating his UFC title after re-aggravating eye injuries he suffered in his championship bout against Ciryl Gane. In Aspinall’s absence, Gane won an interim title by defeating Alex Pereira at UFC White House, and has now been promoted to undisputed champion ahead of his fight with Josh Hokit in the main event of UFC 334 on Nov. 14.
When Aspinall was initially injured this past October, White made comments that could be considered less than sympathetic to Aspinall’s plight, but he has since attempted to clear the air. White assured reporters at Saturday’s UFC 331 post-fight press conference that he has no issue with Aspinall.
“I don’t like Tom, no that’s not the case,” White said. “It’s the furthest thing from the truth. This guy knows he’s injured, he’s going through stuff with the doctor, he knows it’s going to be a while before he comes back. This is totally normal. I think because of what I might have said or what he might have responded to what I said after the thing, that people think that I don’t like Tom. It’s the furthest thing from the truth. I have no reason to not like Tom. Tom’s never done anything for me not to like him.
“If I don’t like somebody, I’m pretty f*cking honest about it. … I promise you this, if I did not like Tom, I would say it. And when guys sign with Eddie Hearn—and this is no bullshit, I’m not taking shots—we f*cking crack up laughing. It’s hilarious. So no, I don’t dislike Tom. And anybody else who wants to sign with Eddie Hearn as their f*cking manager, fire away.”
Aspinall signed a management deal with Hearn’s Matchroom organization, mainly to help him navigate his career during his uncertain stretch on the sidelines. Hearn and White have continually taken public shots at each other, most recently about the other’s involvement in the still-yet-to-be-announced Tyson Fury vs. Anthony Joshua boxing match, but they’ve also directly tangled themselves up in each other’s business with White signing away longtime Matchroom Boxing star Conor Benn to fight for Zuffa Boxing, and Hearn adding Aspinall and now-former UFC fighter Michael Page to his management roster.
White insists he’s unbothered by Hearn’s attempts to rattle his cage.
“They can sign with whoever they want to sign,” White said. “We have to deal with somebody, always, but what has Eddie Hearn done for Tom Aspinall, the first guy to sign for him? Does he have, like, unbelievable amount of sponsors now?
“Everybody wants to play up the thing about, ‘Oh, well this guy signed,’ we don’t care if he signed with Eddie Hearn. What has Eddie Hearn done? Eddie Hearn’s f*cking drowning trying to save his f*cking business right now. … I haven’t talked to Eddie Hearn, have you? He might want to strategically advise himself about the business that he’s in right now.”
