Overview
- Dana White publicly dismissed Eddie Hearn’s demand on Sunday, mocking the call for Aspinall’s release and saying the promotion cannot force a fighter to compete.
- Hearn, who signed Aspinall as a client earlier this year, has said he will not let the champion fight under his current UFC deal unless he is released or paid substantially more.
- Aspinall remains sidelined after surgery for eye injuries sustained in his fight with Ciryl Gane and says he has not been invited to the UFC’s White House event.
- The UFC has booked Alex Pereira vs. Ciryl Gane for an interim heavyweight title on June 14, with the winner positioned to face Aspinall if and when he returns.
- Industry voices warn Hearn faces structural limits because the UFC typically controls champion contracts, making an outright release unlikely and leaving Aspinall’s leverage and pay unresolved.