Tom Aspinall will not fight winner of Alex Pereira vs. Ciryl Gane without significant pay raise, says Eddie Hearn

Eddie Hearn insists he refuses to allow Tom Aspinall to fight the winner of the UFC Freedom 250 co-headliner without a substantial bump in pay.

The co-main event for the historic June 14 show will feature an interim heavyweight title fight between Alex Pereira and Ciryl Gane. While the winner should be facing Aspinall in a title unification bout down the line, there are some issues that need to be addressed. Aspinall has been unhappy with how the UFC brass responded to the double eye injury he suffered in his UFC 321 fight against Gane back in Oct. 2025.

Aspinall has since signed a talent agency deal with Hearn’s Matchroom. Speaking to reporters at Croke Park, Hearn said Aspinall will need a big pay increase if he’s expected to fight Pereira or Gane (h/t Bloody Elbow).

“They’ve got to be careful because at the end of the day I’m not going to let Tom Aspinall fight for the kind of money that he’s on. To be involved in a fight against [Alex] Pereira or [Ciryl] Gane for literally one fiftieth of the revenue for that show?

“F— that, I won’t let him do it. And it’s time those UFC fighters stop being mugs and start to understand that these people are taking advantage of them. They don’t mind paying these boxers all this money but they don’t want to pay the UFC fighters.”

Hearn and UFC CEO Dana White are involved in a bitter war of words, which started when White entered the boxing space with Zuffa Boxing. Some are worried that Aspinall is being caught up in the mess of this feud, while others believe that the current UFC Heavyweight Champion could possibly get what he wants if he plays his cards right.

Do you think Eddie Hearn will ultimately get Tom Aspinall his pay increase from UFC? Share your opinion in the comments below.