Eddie Hearn signs Tom Aspinall and eyes Francis Ngannou as Matchroom shakes up MMA’s power structure

The boxing world and MMA are colliding in a major way, and Eddie Hearn is standing right at the intersection with a pen in hand.

Matchroom Talent Agency confirmed this week that reigning UFC Heavyweight Champion Tom Aspinall has signed with the newly launched Matchroom Talent Agency, making Hearn the official manager of the most prestigious title holder in heavyweight MMA. It’s a seismic move, not just for Aspinall’s career, but for the business of mixed martial arts as a whole.

ASPINALL SIGNS WITH MATCHROOM

Wow oh wow oh wow…

Matchroom has confirmed the signing of the reigning UFC Heavyweight champion @AspinallMMA to their newly founded Matchroom Talent Agency

Who would you like to see him fight?#TomAspinall | #BoxingNews | #MMANews | #UFC pic.twitter.com/tioKlD4ixx

— IFL TV (@IFLTV) March 5, 2026

But Hearn isn’t stopping there.

The Matchroom boss has revealed he will be reaching out to Francis Ngannou, who is suddenly a free agent after the Professional Fighters League officially announced it is parting ways with The Predator.

Ngannou’s stint with the PFL lasted just one fight, a blockbuster October 2024 matchup against Renan Ferreira , after he had originally joined the organization back in May 2023 with enormous fanfare. The partnership never truly found its footing, and now one of the most recognizable names in combat sports is back on the market.

BREAKING: The Professional Fighters League has made the decision to part ways with Francis Ngannou. pic.twitter.com/aK2Di1DCZ5

— PFL (@PFLMMA) March 6, 2026

Hearn’s pitch to Ngannou is simple: Matchroom can deliver what the PFL couldn’t.

And it appears the industry is ready to listen. Hearn revealed that more than half a dozen top UFC fighters have already reached out about representation through the Matchroom Talent Agency, a stunning early signal of how much tension exists between elite fighters and their current management situations inside the UFC’s ecosystem.

“They feel like they’re not getting what they deserve, and that will be the job of the agency,” Hearn stated plainly.

Those words carry weight. For years, fighters and analysts have argued that MMA athletes are among the most underpaid professional athletes relative to revenue generated. With a promotional powerhouse like Matchroom now actively courting UFC talent, the UFC may suddenly find itself navigating a management landscape it has never had to face before.

Aspinall’s signing is the headline, but the real story is what comes next. If Hearn successfully brings Ngannou into the fold and continues building out his roster of UFC fighters, the Matchroom Talent Agency could reshape fighter empowerment in MMA the same way sports agents transformed professional boxing, basketball, and football decades ago.

The countdown to a new era in MMA representation has officially begun.

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