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Dana White says he’s not bothered by Eddie Hearn signing his heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall.
Speaking at the UFC 326 pre-fight press conference, White was asked about Aspinall’s decision to sign with his old friend turned rival. Hearn had announced earlier in the day that he was launching a new talent agency and Aspinall would be its first client.
The two were once on good terms, often meeting up in Las Vegas and London, but that changed when White moved into boxing. Things got even more tense after Zuffa Boxing signed Conor Benn away from Matchroom.
Dana White isn’t worried about Eddie Hearn’s new agency, or Tom Aspinall signing with it
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Given the timing of Tom Aspinall’s announcement, it was no surprise that Dana White was quickly asked about it during today’s press conference. The Mac Life’s Oscar Willis brought up the topic, and judging by White’s response, he doesn’t seem concerned about working with Hearn at all.
He even said he’s dealt with far more difficult managers in the past. Speaking to Willis, White said: “We don’t have any issues with Eddie. They can get whoever they want to represent them – Tito Ortiz used to represent people and we got it done!”
White and Ortiz have a long-standing rivalry that predates his time as UFC president when he was still managing fighters. Their history is far more intense than anything between White and Hearn.
What Dana White said before Tom Aspinall and Eddie Hearn deal
Dana White is often guarded in public settings, especially with the support of fans behind him. But in a more relaxed setting, like his appearance on Piers Morgan Uncensored, he offered a more honest look at where things stand between him and Tom Aspinall.
The interview took place before news broke about Hearn signing with Aspinall, but even so, it highlighted some of the tension that had already been brewing between the heavyweight champion and his boss.
White was quick to correct Morgan when he referred to Aspinall’s title reign as though it were over. But he did admit that they needed to talk directly since most of their interactions had only involved others within the organisation.
He went on to address comments made by Aspinall and his father regarding remarks about the fighter’s eye injury:
“That was absolutely positively not the case, Tom Aspinall is a guy that I respect, he’s been great to work with, never once did I question his injury or speak negatively about him. I said ‘I think he’s okay, and I think he’s going to be good’ and they came out and said ‘no that is not the case’.
“He said ‘I haven’t even talked to Dana I don’t know why he would even say that’, but obviously my medical team is talking to him. That was what I had thought, but they thought that I was knocking him in some way.”
“I absolutely and positively didn’t [say anything negative] and wouldn’t,” White added. “I like him very much [and] respect him. I’ve never had a problem with Tom Aspinall.”
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