Tom Aspinall (15-3, 1 NC MMA, 8-1, 1 NC UFC) has been out of action for four months. Still, that hasn’t stopped the UFC Heavyweight Champion from landing a big punch in a battle he didn’t even so much as need to train for.

In late January, UFC CEO Dana White launched his own boxing promotion, Zuffa Boxing in a Friday evening timeslot on Paramount Plus. After the initial Friday night show at the Meta Apex, Zuffa Boxing has settled into a Sunday night window, with another such show happening this coming weekend.

Recently, Zuffa Boxing signed Conor Benn (24-1, 14 KOs), formerly of Matchroom Boxing, to a one-fight deal worth $15 million (USD.) The signing of Conor Benn to White’s pugilism organization didn’t sit well with some of Tom Aspinall’s UFC compatriots like Israel Adesanya, who took to YouTube to demand a pay structure matching Benn’s for a one-fight deal in MMA.

Tom Aspinall Signs With Eddie Hearn

In the weeks since Zuffa Boxing’s launch, both Dana White and Matchroom Sport Chairman Eddie Hearn have been locked in a vicious war of words. Earlier Thursday, Hearn founded Matchroom Sport Agency. 

Tom Aspinall was revealed to be the agency’s initial signing. Eddie Hearn commented on the Aspinall signing.

“At the heart of everything we’ve done as a business over the last 40 years is identifying ordinary people, who have extraordinary talent,” Hearn said Thursday. “It has become a guiding principle to seek out people who are humble but heroic in equal measure. Their journey is our journey. Their triumph, our purpose. UFC World Heavyweight Champion Tom Aspinall is the perfect embodiment of that- and he is the ideal, inaugural member of our team.”

Don’t Expect Tom Aspinall to Box for Matchroom

While Tom Aspinall has stated in recent months that he’d eventually like to turn to the squared circle of boxing once his MMA career ends, the time to box is not now. Aspinall’s involvement with Matchroom Sport doesn’t contain any pugilism for the moment.

“I’m really excited to welcome Eddie and the Matchroom Sport group in a commercial and advisory role and to become the first athlete to join the new Matchroom Talent Agency,” the heavyweight champion said. “Eddie has built one of the biggest brands in sport and understands how to take athletes to the next level, both inside and outside of competition.

Tom Aspinall’s most recent appearance in the world of combat sports occurred the weekend before Halloween. That Saturday night in UFC 321, his heavyweight title fight versus Ciryl Gane was halted with under a minute remaining on the first-round clock due to an eye poke.

After the five-minute medical timeout expired, Aspinall’s vision was still compromised, resulting in referee Jason Herzog waving the fight off. This was the first no-contest in the careers of both contestants. Dana White has expressed interest in booking a rematch between Aspinall and Gane once the former receives medical clearance to return to competition.

Final Thoughts: Battle Lines Between Eddie Hearn and Dana White Drawn with Tom Aspinall Signing

This spat between Eddie Hearn and Dana White can only get more bumptious from hereon in. Dana White signed Conor Benn to a one-fight deal a few weeks ago, only to be matched by Eddie Hearn signing Tom Aspinall to his new firm on Thursday.

Depending upon what happens from here, make no mistake: It’s now a full-on showdown between these two titans. Wherever Tom Aspinall fights next, whoever he fights, Dana White will have to break bread with Eddie Hearn’s agency.

There’s a chance that when Tom Aspinall goes to the bargaining table for his next deal that it may not be a happy meeting.