Hearn suggested the pay difference is no longer being accepted quietly.
“The fighters now, they’re not having it,” he said.
There are already signs of movement. Jake Paul is building an MMA event outside the UFC structure, while Zuffa’s move into boxing has brought the two sports closer. The boundaries remain, but they are becoming less fixed as both sides test how far their influence can extend.
Hearn views the situation as an opening rather than a risk. He believes Zuffa’s expansion into boxing has worked against them, creating cracks within their own structure.
“This move has completely [messed] them in the main part of their business,” Hearn said.
He suggested these conditions give boxing promoters a chance to challenge MMA’s position more effectively than before.
“I could walk into MMA and probably take it right to them now,” Hearn said, making clear he was describing the moment rather than outlining any immediate plan.
Hearn is looking at a gradual change in momentum. If dissatisfaction among fighters continues and new platforms begin to challenge the UFC’s position, that pressure is likely to spread beyond MMA itself. In his view, it builds over time rather than arriving all at once.
Boxing can benefit by staying where it is. As conditions shift elsewhere, the sport can take advantage of new openings without needing to force a direct clash between the two.
