Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn signed up UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall to a management deal earlier this year, and now he’s trying to get Dana White to release the star from his current deal with the promotion.

“I would like Dana White to release Tom Aspinall from his UFC contract,” Hearn told iFL TV. “I will guarantee Dana that I will pay Tom Aspinall probably five times more, but a minimum of three times more what Dana White is paying him… Dana White should be happy for Tom Aspinall to receive that deal. Dana White should be happy for Aspinall, who is extremely unhappy, and release him from his obligations with the UFC and allow him to go out and make considerably more for himself and his family…

“Unfortunately for him, he has signed a contract which is one of the worst, most grossly underpaid athletes I have ever seen in the commercial world of sports… It’s absolutely disgusting what they’re paying him. Things need to change.”

There’s no love lost between Hearn and White after the UFC CEO lured one of the boxing promoter’s biggest stars Conor Benn away from him to sign for Zuffa Boxing instead.

Soon after Hearn retaliated by signing Aspinall, though the big difference was that it was purely a management deal as he’s still contracted to the UFC.

As for Aspinall himself, his relationship with White has appeared to deteriorate since his fight with Ciryl Gane ended prematurely in a no-contest due to injuries he suffered after being poked in both eyes.

White was perceived to be relatively unsympathetic to Aspinall’s plight in the months that followed as the star underwent tests and eventually surgery in an attempt to fix the damage.

Despite that, as things stand Aspinall has indicated that his focus is on getting back to 100% and then returning to the UFC to defend his title.

And meanwhile in a recent interview Aspinall gave an honest appraisal of his chances of beating one of the leading heavyweight boxing stars if he was to crossover into that sport.

 “I’ve been around the boxing gyms and sparred a lot of boxers,” Aspinall said on the ‘Fight Your Corner’ podcast. “Yeah, and listen: I ain’t gonna beat a boxer in a boxing fight. It’s not happening.

“I might beat some, do you know what I mean, at a certain level. But like, I’m not gonna jump in and beat an Oleksandr Usyk or a Tyson Fury or Anthony Joshua – it’s just not happening.”