Dana White has taken Eddie Hearn to task over his demand to have Tom Aspinall receive a significant pay raise if he’s expected to fight the winner of Alex Pereira vs. Ciryl Gane.

White and Hearn have been engaged in some hostile banter ever since Zuffa Boxing formed. Things took an unexpected turn when Zuffa Boxing signed Conor Benn, who had been in business with Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing for a decade. Hearn fired back by signing a disgruntled Aspinall to a talent agency deal.

Aspinall has been outspoken about how White reacted publicly to the double eye injury he suffered against Gane at UFC 321 back in Oct. 2025. The heavy-handed Salford native believes White tried to make it seem like he didn’t want to continue fighting as if he had a choice.

Hearn recently had an interview with iFL TV where he said he won’t allow Aspinall to compete in a title unification bout at his current pay under the UFC banner. During the UFC Vegas 118 post-fight press conference, White responded to Hearn’s comments.

“If Eddie’s not gonna let his fighter fight, what are you gonna do? You can’t make anybody fight,” White said. “You can’t force anybody to fight. You have to want to fight. So, we’ll see how it plays out.”

White then fired a shot at Hearn’s fractured relationship with Benn and questioned the Matchroom boss’ integrity.

“Eddie, who apparently, Benn was his best friend, Eddie’s been literally crying for weeks. ‘Oh, you’re my best friend,’ and he didn’t even want to pay him, but he wants to pay my guy,” White continued. “He could’ve paid his best friend and they could’ve remained best friends. Eddie’s full of a lot of s***. You know it. I know it. We all know it.”

Pereira and Gane are set to collide with the interim UFC Heavyweight Championship at stake on June 14. The title bout will be a part of the historic UFC Freedom 250 card on the White House lawn. Whoever emerges victorious should be granted a title unification fight against Aspinall, but things have been rocky between UFC and its main heavyweight titleholder.

Do you think Eddie Hearn, Tom Aspinall, and UFC will eventually come to an understanding, or will this situation escalate? Chime in below.