Eddie Hearn Blasts Michael Bisping Over Tom Aspinall Criticism “He should stand up for fighters”
Eddie Hearn has opened two fresh fronts at once, taking aim at Michael Bisping over his comments on Tom Aspinall while again questioning whether Dana White’s Zuffa Boxing has shown anything close to the standard promised at launch. The dispute ties together two familiar themes in combat sports right now: how much leverage fighters actually have, and whether new power centers are helping the athlete or tightening control.
Eddie Hearn attacks Michael Bisping over Tom Aspinall remarks
Hearn‘s sharpest comments were directed at Bisping after the former UFC middleweight champion questioned the handling of Aspinall’s eye injury and his place in the heavyweight title picture. Hearn argued that Bisping, as a former fighter, should be backing athletes caught in difficult contract and promotional situations rather than siding with the company line, and he framed Bisping as someone too close to the UFC to speak freely on Aspinall’s behalf.
That is a strong charge, especially because Bisping has not always been hostile to Aspinall; in past coverage he backed Aspinall as a real threat to Jon Jones and even said Jones should defend the title or step aside.
Bisping has praised Aspinall’s skill set, supported his case for a title unification fight, and criticized delays in the heavyweight division, but he has also argued at times that the division has to keep moving when Aspinall is out, and more recently he questioned the transparency around Aspinall’s injury situation. Hearn has seized on that change in tone to suggest Bisping is protecting his employer rather than speaking from a fighter’s view. Speaking to Ariel Helwani, Hearn explained:
“Michael Bisping should be ashamed… These are people that are on the payroll. These are people that don’t have any backbone about them. 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 3% of the pot.’ Bisping should be standing up for the best interests of the fighter, not allowing fighters to be suppressed and bullied and told what to do or what to accept.”
Eddie Hearn takes aim at Weak Zuffa Boxing
At the same time, Hearn remains openly dismissive of Zuffa Boxing despite White’s long campaign to sell it as a fix for boxing’s old problems. Zuffa Boxing held its inaugural event in Las Vegas in January 2026, with Callum Walsh winning the headline fight, but the early shows have drawn mixed reaction and Hearn has said the product so far has been low-level, over-controlled, and lacking a clear identity beyond branding. He has repeatedly mocked the presentation, the matchmaking, and the attempt to package a new in-house championship structure as a major shift in the sport. He added:
“The boxing product has been awful… What’s the difference between that and a Ben Shalom show? Nothing. You keep saying, ‘Judge me on what we’re doing.’ Well, I’m judging you on what you’re doing, and it’s very low-level. Ultimately, it’s not Dana’s company. Dana works for Turki Alalshikh, who’s the biggest shareholder… How long will that funding carry from those guys, and how long will you be up for the battle?”
He has said Dana White is not acting independently here, arguing that Zuffa Boxing is effectively tied to Turki Alalshikh’s side of the venture, with reports describing the promotion as a joint project involving TKO and Saudi-backed Sela, and one report stating Sela holds 60 percent while TKO owns 40 percent. From Hearn’s view, that backing gives Zuffa Boxing muscle, but it does not answer whether the model can win trust from fighters and hardcore boxing fans over time.
Taken together, Hearn’s message is consistent even if it is delivered with a promoter’s volume. On Aspinall, he is saying fighters need louder allies inside the system. On Zuffa Boxing, he is saying money and influence can launch a project, but they do not automatically produce a better sport.
