Sean O’Malley knows exactly the sort of power the UFC holds over its fighters, and in the ongoing Dana White–Eddie Hearn feud, he’s not too sure if Tom Aspinall has picked the right side. For those who may not know, last week, the UFC heavyweight champion became the inaugural client of Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Talent Agency, which focuses on managing athletes. This was no regular move.

Just weeks before, UFC CEO Dana White had snatched away, first Jai Opetaia and then Conor Benn, both Matchroom Boxing fighters. White reportedly signed a $15 million deal with Benn to fight on a Zuffa Boxing card. This, obviously, escalated tensions between Hearn and White, prompting the British promoter to retaliate by officially taking on Tom Aspinall’s managerial duties. This, Sean O’Malley believes, could bring the heavyweight champ into odds with the UFC and worsen the already strained relationship between them.

Sean O’Malley doesn’t want to make enemies in the UFC

“You don’t want to make enemies with UFC,” O’Malley cautioned while in conversation with Ariel Helwani. “I don’t get what people are doing. And I saw Tom Aspinall signed with [the] Hearn dude. I don’t really know if that’s a great idea either. You’re going to have someone manage you who Dana doesn’t really like. That didn’t seem very smart, but I’m not that smart. But that’s how I see it.”

It’s worth noting that Sean O’Malley was recently added to the White House card, scheduled to take place on June 14, at the South Lawn. The former bantamweight champion is facing Canadian Aiemann Zahab on the undercard of the Ilia Topuria vs. Justin Gaethje headliner. While the White House card is a prestigious opportunity, O’Malley’s primary focus remains on his earnings—a strategy that puts him at odds with fighters like Aspinall, who are exploring outside partnerships.

For the 31-year-old, though, the path to higher earnings doesn’t involve siding with Dana White’s rivals, but rather building his own brand.

“The whole fighter pay thing, it’s like everyone wants to make more money [with] whatever they’re doing,” O’Malley said. “I have a good relationship with the UFC, and I’m happy, I’m honored that they asked me to be on the White House card. It’s going to be huge for me… I’m going to make some money, whatever. But I’m going to go out there and build the ‘Sugar’ brand. 

“I want to go out there, put on a beautiful performance, knock people out, have people remember me, and hopefully that flows into making more money outside the UFC and doing different kinds of brand deals.”

The reported $15 million deal for Conor Benn struck a nerve with O’Malley, who contrasted it with his own UFC earnings. ‘Suga’ couldn’t believe Dana White agreed to pay the English boxer $15 million for one fight, especially since, according to him, no one knows who Benn is in the US. He complained about his own pay in the UFC, revealing that despite being one of the promotion’s biggest stars, he has yet to make anywhere close to that amount. 

And since UFC fighter pay is the subject, Eddie Hearn admitted to being shocked by Tom Aspinall’s paychecks from the UFC when he went through them.

Eddie Hearn couldn’t believe what the UFC was paying Tom Aspinall

Eddie Hearn has already started working on making Tom Aspinall’s life better. And this doesn’t bode well for Dana White. Speaking to Ariel Helwani, Hearn claims to have been stunned when he reviewed Tom Aspinall’s contract with the UFC.

“I’m going over his UFC contract… and I’m just sitting there, and I’m like, ‘I actually can’t believe what’s going on,’” Hearn said. “I actually can’t believe that you’ve had your eye virtually gouged out… you’ve had three operations, and you’re sitting there feeling sorry for yourself, and I can tell what kind of individual you are. I was just like, ‘I want to represent you. Forget me vs. Dana. I want to represent you.’”

“Tom Aspinall headlined The O2 Arena, and they actually broke records, and it was on pay-per-view in the U.K. and ESPN in America and he’s making less money–probably half the amount of money–than I would pay for a guy to fight for the British title at York Hall (in) Bethnal Green (London) in front of 1,200 people.”

Eddie Hearn feels he’s now ready to help Aspinall get what he “deserves.”

It appears Hearn’s deal with Aspinall might lead to some contentious standoff with the UFC brass. And O’Malley’s warning underscores a pivotal moment in the UFC, where fighter autonomy and promotional loyalty are on a collision course, positioning Aspinall’s deal as a potential catalyst for industry-wide change.