Bisping fires back at Hearn after UFC fighter pay attack over Aspinall

Michael Bisping publicly rebuked boxing promoter Eddie Hearn on his podcast after Hearn accused him of being too close to the UFC to speak honestly about fighter pay, escalating a war of words that erupted on 24 June 2026 during Hearn’s appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show.

Hearn, who now works with UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall, directed his fire at Bisping while criticising the pay being offered to Aspinall ahead of a prospective unification bout against Ciryl Gane. “Michael Bisping should be ashamed of what is being proposed to Tom Aspinall to be in a fight like Ciryl Gane with that amount of money that is in the pot,” Hearn said. “He is a fighter. He should stand up for what’s right for fighters.” Hearn also challenged Bisping to a public debate, suggesting the former middleweight champion was on the UFC’s “payroll” and lacked “any backbone.”

Bisping, speaking on his podcast, rejected both the characterisation and the format of Hearn’s challenge. “I’m not having a debate online, but I’m very happy, next time I’m in London, to sit down face-to-face, man-to-man, and have a conversation like that,” he said.

The former champion insisted he had never commented on Aspinall’s specific compensation and had no knowledge of the figures involved. “I have no idea the money that Tom is getting paid. I’m not a part of that,” Bisping said. He argued that Hearn was using the fighter pay issue as cover for a broader personal dispute with UFC president Dana White. “Eddie Hearn is muddying the waters with something between him and Dana White and his perceived war and beef that he has with Dana.”

Bisping was emphatic in defending his record as a commentator and his concern for fighters. “It’s absolute horse s**t what Eddie Hearn is saying,” he said. “I care about fighters. We care deeply about this sport, and this is why we are commentators. There’s nothing wrong with that.”

Aspinall is expected to return to unify the UFC heavyweight titles against Gane, though no official announcement for the bout has been made.