Andrew Ravens
Eddie Hearn has taken direct aim at UFC legend Michael Bisping after the former middleweight champion questioned what was taking Tom Aspinall so long to recover from the double eye surgery he underwent following his no-contest against Ciryl Gane at UFC 321 in October.
Bisping also questioned the timing of Hearn’s agency signing Aspinall and suggested there may have been an ulterior motive connected to Hearn’s ongoing beef with Dana White. Hearn pushed back on both points during an appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show.
“These are people that are on the payroll,” Hearn said. “These are people who have been suppressed themselves, and these are people who don’t have any backbone about them. Michael Bisping should be ashamed of what is being proposed to Tom Aspinall to be in a fight like Ciryl Gane with that amount of money that is in the pot.
“He is a fighter. He should stand up for what’s right for fighters. So what are you saying, Bisping? ‘Do as you’re told, shut up, take your money. That’s all you’re worth.”
“There’s $60 million in the pot. Be quiet. You’re getting three percent of the pot.’ You’re the fighter. You’re putting your health on the line, you’re the talent, you’re the reason this organization is what it is, and Bisping should be ashamed of himself for that,” Hearn added. “I keep saying to Bisping, ‘Sit down with me, live, and we’ll have a debate about it,’ and he’ll never do it because he knows he can’t say certain things.”
Hearn confirmed that Aspinall has been cleared to compete and that communication with the UFC regarding a unification bout with Gane, who claimed the interim belt by finishing Alex Pereira at UFC Freedom 250, is underway.
“We’ve reached out to the UFC, and we’ve told them. Aspinall, who’s got that relationship with Hunter Campbell and those guys, ‘Tom is ready.’ There’s going to be a conversation coming up about dates and numbers. We’re not coming in there to cause a big argument.
“What we’re coming in to say is that there’s a huge amount of money in the fight between Ciryl Gane and Tom Aspinall. Contractually, the numbers are completely unfair in terms of the value that Tom Aspinall brings into that fight. What we’re asking for is just to be respected.”
