Dana White fires back at Eddie Hearn with 'Bam' Rodriguez release demand

Dana White responded to Eddie Hearn’s demand for Tom Aspinall’s UFC release by turning the argument back on the Matchroom Boxing chairman, publicly calling for the release of Hearn’s prized client Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez at a Zuffa Boxing press conference.

“[Hearn] said he wanted [Aspinall] released, right? Well, you release ‘Bam’ Rodriguez then,” White said. “Sounds pretty stupid, doesn’t it? Congratulations again, Eddie. You sound stupid again.”

Hearn took on Aspinall as a management client in March, and has since become an increasingly vocal critic of the UFC’s pay structure, recently going as far as demanding the promotion release the British heavyweight champion outright and promising to significantly increase his earnings elsewhere.

White’s counter-demand centres on Rodriguez (23-0, 16 KOs), the reigning WBC, WBO and The Ring super flyweight champion. Rodriguez is currently preparing to challenge Antonio Vargas for the WBA bantamweight title on June 13 at the Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona, where he will attempt to become a three-division world champion.

The friction between Aspinall and the UFC predates Hearn’s involvement. The heavyweight champion’s first title defence against Ciryl Gane ended in a no contest after an eye poke from Gane in the first round, with White publicly downplaying the severity of Aspinall’s injury and expressing disappointment that he chose not to continue. Aspinall signed with Hearn’s management shortly after that bout.

With Aspinall (15-3) on the sidelines, Alex Pereira and Gane are set to fight for an interim UFC heavyweight title at the White House on Sunday. Aspinall is expected to face the winner, though Hearn has stated he will not allow Aspinall to compete under his current UFC contract terms — a stance that sets up a prolonged standoff between the promotion and its own heavyweight champion.