Sign with Eddie Hearn, get paid.
That’s the message Matchroom Boxing’s Hearn is sending as he gets to work building up UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall’s profile and sponsorship portfolio.
Hearn is currently in a war of words with UFC CEO Dana White over parent company TKO’s foray into the sweet science with Zuffa Boxing. Zuffa recently stole away Conor Benn, one of Matchroom’s biggest names. Hearn returned fire by signing a management deal with Aspinall, who has clearly been unhappy with how
the UFC has mishandled the last couple years of his career.
And now, less than two weeks into that partnership, Hearn says Aspinall is set to make more money outside the cage than he did fighting for UFC.
“We are closing in on a number of deals for Tom Aspinall,” Hearn told IFL.tv. “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 ten days to two weeks, he will make more money in commercial deals than he did for one of his recent fights. Within ten days of working with Matchroom. One of his recent fights, in the last four fights.”
“So they’re leaving a lot of money on the table.”
Hearn has already said many UFC fighters have reached out to him about managing their careers, and he suggested he was ready to sign any athlete with an interesting and marketable story. While it still remains to be seen if Hearn will be able to help his fighters get better pay from UFC, he’s clearly ready to use his substantial rolodex to unlock big sponsorships most UFC managers can’t. And that’s a pretty good way to build up an agency if you ask us.
