LONDON – Eddie Hearn said he wanted to aid Tom Aspinall found his motivation again after signing a business deal with the UFC heavyweight champion.

Aspinall (15-3) announced on Thursday that he has signed with Hearn’s newly formed Matchroom talent agency, meaning the British promoter will aid him manage his career and business interests.

Aspinall has not fought since October against Ciryl Gane, when the fight was stopped prematurely after Aspinall was repeatedly poked in the eye. He has since undergone eye surgery.

Hearn said when he first spoke to Aspinall last week, you might have thought the UFC champion lacked the spark usually associated with a fighter of his stature.

“Sometimes when I say it… I don’t want him to be offended by it. When I first talked to him, I felt like I was talking to someone who didn’t realize who he was and what he was about,” Hearn said at a news conference Friday.

“Who is a huge star. A huge world star, one of the biggest in combat sports.

“In fact, the worst person in the world. Sometimes you can impose a narrative: it dampens your mood, and two: it just makes you feel like ‘I don’t really want to do this anymore.’

“When I was talking to him and he started talking about his injuries and multiple surgeries, I thought, ‘Man, we need to get over this and realize how large you are.’

“I see a man who is determined to get back there and I don’t want to say prove, he doesn’t have to prove, he fought everyone who came before him.”

Aspinall said he is still receiving advice from doctors, but has returned to featherlight training and wants to return to the octagon as soon as possible.

The 32-year-old expressed hope that he could take his commercial value to the next level by bringing Hearn into the fold, especially considering he has been forced to sit on the sidelines recently.

“As athletes, we have a miniature window in which we can make a lot of money. Considering what has happened in my career, my recent injuries, I want to make as much money as possible. I want to provide for my family from generation to generation,” Aspinall said.

“It was tough as hell. It was tough to be in the position I was in, and a lot of people thought about what they thought about you. Of course, I want to come back from it.”

Aspinall is still under contract with the UFC, and Hearn said he has no plans to move into boxing.

However, Hearn’s rivalry with UFC boss Dana White – who now also heads Zuffa Boxing – has intensified in recent weeks. White and Zuffa signed British player Conor Benn, whom Matchroom described as their biggest star of the future.

While there have been plenty of verbal spats between the two in the media, Aspinall’s alliance with Hearn marks a major victory for Matchroom, which will now work with the UFC and White on Aspinall, one of the biggest stars in the sport.

Matchroom’s CEO this week unveiled his recent venture as a talent management company intended to represent athletes and entertainers across several industries. The announcement comes as recent promoters and immense investment groups enter the boxing market, including Zuffa’s recent entry into the sport, which has attracted industry-wide attention.

Hearn rejected the suggestion that the timing of the agency’s creation was linked to these changes, saying the concept was already in development.

“These conversations have been going on for ages, mostly about football,” Hearn said.

Matchroom Talent Agency becomes part of the company’s existing boxing, darts and snooker activities, but the recent division focuses on representation rather than event promotion. Hearn described it as a management operation designed to aid clients gain commercial opportunities and public exposure.

“It’s a management company … like any sports agency or athlete representation company that represents athletes and fighters,” Hearn said.

The agency does not limit itself to professional athletes. Hearn said the plan is to also work with people outside of sports, including entertainment figures.

“We don’t limit ourselves to sports… if you are an actor, a musician, we want to work with you,” he said.

Matchroom has been promoting events across several sports for decades, but the creation of a talent agency brings the company closer to the commercial side of athletes’ careers. Hearn said the move reflects Matchroom’s experience working with broadcasters, sponsors and media partners across a range of sporting and international events.

The company expects to announce additional contract signings once the agency begins operations. Hearn said the long-term goal is to represent talent across sport, entertainment and media, while continuing Matchroom’s work promoting events in boxing and other sports around the world.

Jai Opetai’s quest for undisputed status took a huge hit after the IBF stripped the Australian of the cruiserweight title following confirmation that Zuffa’s championship would be treated as a world title.

Opetaia has repeatedly said his goal is to become undisputed. Even at his final press conference, minutes before the IBF released its statement, Opetaia insisted the belt was on the line.

Directly responding to a question from Fight Hub’s Marcos Villegas, Opetaia said: “Yes, the IBF title is in the pipeline. Don’t listen to everything you hear on the internet because everyone is spreading rumors.”

However, these “rumors” were not like that. World Boxing News reported that the IBF was only considering sanctioning the fight and that an announcement would be made.

Ironically, for Opetai, these explanations came shortly after his own comments and contradicted everything he had confirmed to Villegas.

Zuffa’s undisputed plan

The IBF has already clarified that it is not involved in this event, stating: “The IBF has not had any discussions regarding this fight with any direct representative of Zuffa Boxing.”

The IBF also emphasized boxing’s ultimate goal for champions.

“The pursuit of undisputed status – by unifying the IBF, WBA, WBC and WBO titles – represents the highest ambition in sport.”

Following the IBF’s ruling, it now seems highly unlikely that any other sanctioning bodies will allow one of their titles to be on the line with Zuffa.

USA Boxing withdraws

The event came just hours after USA Boxing withdrew its support for proposed changes to the Muhammad Ali Act that could have allowed the Zuffa championship structure to exist under the current system.

In a letter sent to members of Congress, the governing body clarified that the earlier correspondence “does not represent the official position of USA Boxing” and confirmed that “the Board hereby withdraws this letter.”

The blow to the body puts Opetai’s unquestionable ambitions into solemn doubt.

What was initially presented as the path to boxing’s ultimate achievement – unifying the IBF, WBA, WBC and WBO titles – instead removed the first belt required to begin that journey.

It is unclear at this stage whether Zuffa made any promises during the negotiations.

It is clear that Opetaia is currently under contract to Zuffa and if sanctioning authorities continue to withhold recognition, the Australian currently has no realistic path to an undisputed position once signed with the company.

About the author

Phil Jay is the editor-in-chief of World Boxing News (WBN) and a boxing veteran with over 15 years of experience. Read the full biography.