Is Eddie Hearn in over his head amid a hostile war of wards with Dana White?
Hearn and White were once chummy and often exchanged pleasantries, but things changed when the UFC boss got into the boxing industry. Since the formation of Zuffa Boxing, Hearn and White have been at odds. Zuffa Boxing pulled off an unexpected move by signing longtime Matchroom Boxing star Conor Benn, who had a business relationship with Hearn for a decade.
In response, Hearn signed UFC Heavyweight Champion Tom Aspinall to his talent agency. He now represents Aspinall, who has publicly expressed frustration with White over his reaction to a double eye injury he suffered at UFC 321.
MMAFighting.com‘s latest edition of “The Fighter vs. The Writer” featured some comments from Matt Brown, who weighed in on Hearn’s role of a fighter representative within the MMA space. Hearn has demanded a pay raise for Aspinall if he’s expected to meet the winner of the interim heavyweight title fight between Alex Pereira and Ciryl Gane.
Brown advises Hearn to tread carefully.
“I think he’s overvaluing his role as a manager of a UFC fighter,” Brown said. “I don’t think he really understands how this works. It’s not boxing. It is a different world. I feel like Dana’s not the guy you really want to have a feud with, especially Dana coming into boxing. This time right now, Dana’s close friends with the president. You better have all the cards stacked in your favor if you’re going to go and talk shit to Dana White. You want to start talking, having problems with Dana? You better have your f*cking ducks in a row. Clearly, he didn’t.”
Brown insisted that he’s actually a fan of what Hearn has done for the boxing scene. He doesn’t believe Hearn made the smart move by representing Aspinall as a way to get back at White and Zuffa Boxing. Brown described it as a “tough situation” for Hearn.
What do you make of Matt Brown’s comments on the Eddie Hearn vs. Dana White feud? Drop a comment below.
