Conor Benn Signs with Zuffa Boxing (again)

[MPW]

The only person who he can generate that against would be Mayweather.

But Floyd was selling out based on him being p4p #1. I doubt 50 year old money grabbing Mayweather has as much appeal but he has a lot of experience building and selling fights. Benn is not a likable guy and not a name. You usually need someone who has some value as a "good guy" vs the "bad guy" in Mayweather, that's how Floyd operates but Benn won't be able to be the "good guy" with the UK behind him. He was already seen as a petulant cheat and now his image has gone even further into the bin.

What do you mean “generate it”. The Saudis don’t need to generate anything,
Cristiano Ronaldo is getting paid £15m a month! Thats not being generated, the Saudi PIF pay it as part of their “vision for 2030, boosting the economy and tourism” (basically sports washing)

They need names and names won’t go there unless they’re paid silly money .

Dubois getting £10m or AJ getting 50m for fighting Ngannou.

No fighter from the UK would fight in Saudi for the same money / deal they’d get paid for fighting in the UK.

Benn ain’t signing for them unless they’re paying life changing generational money that he can’t get here .

That's a good point to be fair. Benn is just such a lack of talent compared to those mentioned. Even Ngannou had pedigree as best MMA heavyweight despite being awful in boxing.

To quote Bill Veeck, the late owner of baseball's Chicago White Sox: "I don't mind the high price of stardom. I just don't like the high price of mediocrity."

[MightyWarrior]

Bad look for Benn of course, but that’s nothing new - sports washing at its finest. And can’t feel too sorry for Eddie, sounding like his fighters are his family, but he’s quite happy to see Chisora get his few remaining brain cells bashed in

[Ruthless-RKO]

Benn's Zuffa move not made 'the right way' - Conlan

Belfast's Michael Conlan feels that while Conor Benn may have done what was right for him when making the shock move to Zuffa Boxing, "it doesn't seem he went about it the right way".

Friday's announcement that Benn had chosen Dana White's fledgling boxing promotion over renewing with Eddie Hearn's Matchroom sent shockwaves through the sport.

Benn began his professional career with Hearn and has boxed all 25 of his contests under the Matchroom banner, including last November's rematch victory over long-time rival Chris Eubank Jr, but in a stunning move, opted to part ways with Hearn.

However, a planned first fight with Eubank in 2022 was cancelled just days out after Benn failed a voluntary drugs test - twice testing positive for the banned substance Clomifene - with Hearn consistently protesting the fighter's innocence.

Many in boxing felt that alone would ensure their working relationship would continue, but Benn's decision to team-up with White - a rival of Hearn - added to the surprise, as did Hearn's claim the 29-year-old was unwilling to take a call to discuss the situation.

While boxers making changes in promotion, management and coaching is nothing new, Conlan was nonetheless "surprised because of how much Hearn backed him".

"I think he was wrong to do it but then he is getting paid stupid money, so fair play to him," Conlan told BBC Sport NI.

"Do I really care about it? No. But am I surprised? Yes.

"If he had the call and Hearn matched it or got close to it (Zuffa offer) then you think 'maybe you shouldn't have done that'.

"You see fighters leave coaches and I've left a few for my own reasons to get the best from myself. You have to do what's best for you and if it is the best thing for Benn to go and make a lot of money for him and his kids, fair play, but there are ways to go about things and it doesn't seem he went about it the right way."

'If you want loyalty, buy a dog' - Sauerland

Kalle Sauerland, in Belfast to promote Conlan's featherweight clash with Kevin Walsh on 20 March at the SSE Arena, was Eubank's promoter for that cancelled fight in 2022 and admits to "mistakes" when trying to force the fight through before the British Boxing Board of Control ultimately pulled the plug.

While he was also surprised to see Benn make the move considering the united front he saw from the fighter and Hearn during that period, the long-time promoter is also savvy enough to know the game and

"What I saw then (in 2022) was a team (Benn's) that really stuck together," Sauerland said.

"I'm not buying into the whole loyalty thing as growing up, we always had Sunday lunches with guests and one was Mickey Duff, a top promoter in the '70s and '80s and he always would say 'if you want loyalty, buy a dog'.

"Is it about loyalty because he's taken a higher offer? He's only got one career, so I understand it from that position.

"I know this won't be an easy pill for Eddie and although I'm not buying all the spin about the money lent (to Benn) because you do have a pre-payment to a fighter for his purse, what I do buy is the emotional aspect to it as I've been there before."

Zuffa Boxing, rebranded from TKO Boxing in 2025, is led by UFC chief White with backing from the Chairman of the General Entertainment Authority of Saudi Arabia, Turki Alalshikh.

It intends to crown its own champions, using The Ring Magazine rankings to determine top contenders, and bypass the traditional sanctioning bodies.

Benn's capture follows that of cruiserweight world champion Jai Opetaia as the company rapidly builds its roster and while some eyebrows have been raised and feathers ruffled, Sauerland is not hitting the panic button.

"Zuffa, they haven't said themselves what they are so I can only judge it when I see it.

"The idea of a league in boxing in America may have something to it as it maybe needs a format and shot in the arm.

"We've seen a massive show with 'Canelo' (Saul Alvarez)-Terence Crawford (promoted) by White and the Saudis, so how does that all fit in?

"I was always brought up to believe competition in boxing is a good thing as it brings more eyes, money and broadcasters to the sport."

[Ruthless-RKO]

Conor Benn decision to join Dana White and Zuffa Boxing will 'really hurt' Eddie Hearn, says Jonny Nelson

Conor Benn has signed to Dana White and Zuffa Boxing, saying he wants "legacy fights" and "the biggest stages"

Conor Benn’s decision to join Dana White’s Zuffa Boxing will have "really hurt" promoter Eddie Hearn but it’s a "business move", says Sky Sports expert Johnny Nelson.

The 29-year-old had been promoted by Hearn's Matchroom Boxing organisation since turning professional, but after a 10-year spell, Benn left to sign with UFC boss White's promotional company.

Benn and Hearn's partnership had enjoyed its biggest success in November as 'The Destroyer' defeated Chris Eubank Jr in a rematch to continue his resurgence after being cleared by UK Anti-Doping to resume his career following failed drug tests in 2022.

Reacting to the Benn-Hearn split, Nelson told Sky Sports News: "It's show business.

"I thought Conor and AJ [Anthony Joshua] were the ones that Eddie had a more personal relationship, more than his fighters.

"He [Hearn] will be really hurt because he thought they were friends. And Conor has done what most fighters should do, which is take care of themselves.

"I know a lot of fighters that were household names, that haven't got two pennies because of decisions they made in their career, because of times when they should have moved on and made a better decision in their life, but they didn't. So this what Conor has done. He's done a business move.

"I saw an interview and Eddie said: 'I sent him a message saying, I think we should talk.' And Conor said no. I can understand why Conor didn't speak to him, because it would have been very hard to actually stick to his decision. Conor has said, 'I'm doing it for my family. I'm taking care of me'.

"Say if Conor Benn boxed his next fight, and he didn't take this deal, he stayed with Eddie, and maybe he got two or three million, and he lost. Then, then all of a sudden, his career starts to go downhill. But he's been offered $15m for his next fight. I totally get it.

"If he should be at that level, then he'll stay at that level and make a lot more money. If he's not at that level, he swam the channel, he's done well.

"He's got paid handsomely at a level that he probably would never have got to - and he's alright, he's sorted."

[johnmanchester]

If Verhoeven could have starched AJ, he would've spent his prime as a boxer making millions, not a kickboxer making thousands.

Doesn't work like that. Boxing was never on the table for him. There is no boxing scene in the Netherlands and he was never someone who could have gone all the way had he relocated to the UK.

I said he could have starched AJ had they met this year as planned, because AJ is shot and gunshy.

Nieky Holzken moved over. Why couldn't Verhoeven when he's been the biggest name in kickboxing for a decade? I think you underestimate the difference in level in who they're facing in their own sport too. I'm not saying that Verhoeven couldn't be a good boxer but to suggest he'd going in and wipe the floor with Anthony Joshua because he's consistently beat some scrubs in a different sport for peanuts is ludicrous.

Holzken didn't move over. He did some boxing matches while maintaining his kickboxing career. He recently retired. Was kickboxing the whole time.

Holzken also a much better boxer than Rico.

Again I am not saying Rico would "wipe the floor" with AJ, I am saying he has a CHANCE at the moment in time NOW due to AJ being shot.

I am not saying he'd have crossed over and beat him at peak, I am saying NOW, CURRENTLY

[Controversial]

I haven't read through this thread so maybe it's been discussed. I keep hearing it's a one fight deal, so Benn is only contracted to have one fight and then he's a free agent or is that wrong?

[keithmoonhangover]

I haven't read through this thread so maybe it's been discussed. I keep hearing it's a one fight deal, so Benn is only contracted to have one fight and then he's a free agent or is that wrong?

That's correct. He does this fight, then he's free as a bird. If he wins, I can see him staying with them. If he loses, it'll be bye-bye.

[Controversial]

I haven't read through this thread so maybe it's been discussed. I keep hearing it's a one fight deal, so Benn is only contracted to have one fight and then he's a free agent or is that wrong?

That's correct. He does this fight, then he's free as a bird. If he wins, I can see him staying with them. If he loses, it'll be bye-bye.

Ok thanks, a no brainer for him really especially if out of contract with Hearn. Doesn’t take away that he should’ve spoken to Hearn

[Ruthless-RKO]

TKO Exec: Saudi money funded Conor Benn’s Zuffa Boxing deal

Benn reportedly received a $15 million contract for one fight, which is significantly more than most — if not all — UFC athletes earn on a per fight basis. Since Dana White is the head of both the UFC and Zuffa Boxing, that sparked plenty of criticism from fighters who go to work inside the Octagon. Former bantamweight champ Sean O'Malley was in disbelief that Benn would be paid that much, while Michael Page expressed disappointment that White would place such value on someone outside of the promotion where he “built his reputation.”

However, during a quarterly financial call on Wednesday, TKO Group Holdings (the parent company of the UFC and Zuffa Boxing) president and chief operating officer Mark Shapiro attempted to quell some of that controversy by revealing that Benn’s signing was entirely funded by the company’s partners in Saudia Arabia, which includes entertainment conglomerate Sela and Turki Alalshikh. As a result, it’s no guarantee that Benn competes on a weekly Zuffa Boxing card streamed on Paramount+. The plan, instead, is for Benn to compete on a bigger card similar to the Terence Crawford -Canelo Alvarez event this past September.

"First off, I would say this story has taken a life of its own, and that's largely because Eddie Hearn is stirring the pot in a very fictional way," Shapiro said. "So, as you know, our partner in Zuffa Boxing is Sela – they're the financial backer entity. Beyond the year long series of fight cards that will appear exclusively on Paramount+, we've described again and again on these calls and conferences that we also plan to stage approximately two to four super fights per year – Canelo-Crawford being an example – some of which TKO will promote and or sell the media rights, for of course incremental fees.

“We at TKO with Sela collectively identified Conor Benn, as someone we wanted to sign for one of those super fights in 2026. That's it. One fight in 2026. Conor was a free agent. Dana White and Nick Khan, in that order, went out and signed Conor. Now, let me be clear: we signed him for just one fight. That's all we're talking about here. Now, of course, we hope that eventually he'll fight in our Zuffa Boxing series exclusively on Paramount+, but for now, this is just one fight. No different than what we did with Canelo and Crawford. No different than other super fights we're planning with Sela. I would add to the reported purse, which I believe was around $15 million, that the reported purse – I'm not confirming or denying – that Conor will be paid for this super fight in 2026, is not TKO going out of pocket. Sela, led by our great partner Turki Alalshikh, is covering the purse. Once again, no different than exactly what we did with the Canelo-Crawford fight.”

[Ruthless-RKO]

Embattled Frank=Warren casts doubt on TKO’s ‘investment’ in Conor Benn

Frank+Warren has questioned the wisdom of Zuffa Boxing investing so heavily to recruit Conor Benn from Matchroom.

He has also rejected suggestions that Zuffa’s Dana White is on course to have the impact on boxing that has been speculated about – and insisted that Queensberry Promotions’ contracts with Tyson Fury, Hamzah Sheeraz and Agit Kabayel will safeguard them against any potential promotional “complications” in the coming months.

On the same day that it was reported that he plans to sue Zuffa’s owners TKO and Saudi Arabia’s Sela for $1bn because of the partnership between them from which he has been excluded – he largely refused to comment on those reports – he dismissed the wisdom of TKO reportedly investing eight figures for one fight with the 29-year-old Benn.

Benn’s departure from Matchroom and Eddie Hearn’s vocal reaction to it has made a bigger impact than any other signing Zuffa has made – the world’s leading cruiserweight Jai Opetaia included – but his highest-profile victory is that over Chris Eubank Jnr in November 2025, and Warren, who has since reached out to Hearn about the development, also dismissed Eubank Jnr’s abilities and therefore the value of that win.

“The sums of money that’s being paid – I don’t see what that type of investment is doing,” Warren said. “He ain’t even the best at his weight in Essex.

“I’d make that fight [against fellow welterweight Ekow Essuman] in a heartbeat. But good luck to him – good luck to him and he’s getting a few quid and it is what it is.

“I would find definitely better places to spend my money on or better fighters to spend my money on. I don’t see that investment, but maybe I’m getting older and they know better than I do.

“I actually sent [Hearn] a little note [about Benn]. I’m not going to say what I sent in a note, but I sent him a little note; sent him a text.

“I mean, some people dig out all these old interviews... One of them especially, someone said, ‘Well have a look at that’ and I’ve got better things to do than piss around watching it but I thought to myself, it reminded me when I got shot years ago [in 1989] and there was a fighter who said, ‘Oh I wish I was there – I would’ve took a bullet for him’ and all that shit. I’m in the hospital, and a month later he went over and signed for Barry Hearn. I remember sending him a message saying, ‘Where was you when I needed you to take that bullet?’

“I don’t know how it will end. I’ve never rated Chris Eubank Jnr at all. Ever. I seen him fight with a 70 per cent fit Billy Joe Saunders [in 2014]. Billy pissed the first six rounds. Everyone said it was a fight of two halves. It wasn’t. He won three of the next six and he was struggling when he went into that fight. Every time he steps up, Chris Jnr, he falls down.”

When he was asked about reports of the lawsuit he is preparing for his newest rivals the 73-year-old Warren would only say “It didn’t just happen overnight, that’s for sure”. It was with Queensberry that Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority and Turki Alalshikh first consistently invested into the highest level of boxing, but their partnership with TKO and Zuffa has since emerged as a threat to Warren, Hearn and more.

The professional cheerleader Max Kellerman, while hosting a press conference to promote the contest in September between Saul “Canelo” Alvarez and Terence Crawford, said of White: “He built something like the NBA. He’s about to do it for boxing again; for boxing now. You want an NBA or an NFL in boxing? Here it comes. Because he knows how to build an institution. And how you do that.”

There have since been further suggestions about White’s potential to transform the sport, but Warren – more influential than at any other time since Hearn emerged as his greatest rival in 2012 – said: “What’s he saving [boxing] from? The UFC model is a great model because it was a blank piece of paper and it basically works on an 80-20 basis. I’ve got to be honest – I’d be too embarrassed [to take that].

“But the bottom line of it is we’ll see. Time will tell.”

[CaptainSpacerod]

I don’t get why there’s so much faux outrage towards Conor.

We already knew he was a gauche, classless little man so why would anyone expect him to show the courtesy and respect of a gentleman when abruptly severing a business partnership.

The real outrage here is why Dana is splurging such a large sum on someone with such a mediocre resume. Surely it can’t just be to spite Eddie ? Why not sign Adam Azim or Dalton Smith or Sheeraz or Fabio, guys with skills and / or impressive records.

Conor’s a poor man’s Ben Whitaker - similar records but less charismatic, less handsome and less talented. Why, of all the boxers in the uk, did they pick him.

Baffling.

[Ruthless-RKO]

The real outrage here is why Dana is splurging such a large sum on someone with such a mediocre resume. Surely it can’t just be to spite Eddie ? Why not sign Adam Azim or Dalton Smith or Sheeraz or Fabio, guys with skills and / or impressive records.

As some of us thought, it's being backed by Turki.

The event will be similar to Bud-Canelo.

Turki backed TKO backed Zuffa Promotions.

I mean the fight with Eubank sold itself, the first one anyway.

But who will they get in for this?

May even be on Netflix.

[maverick23]

I don’t get why there’s so much faux outrage towards Conor.

We already knew he was a gauche, classless little man so why would anyone expect him to show the courtesy and respect of a gentleman when abruptly severing a business partnership.

The real outrage here is why Dana is splurging such a large sum on someone with such a mediocre resume. Surely it can’t just be to spite Eddie ? Why not sign Adam Azim or Dalton Smith or Sheeraz or Fabio, guys with skills and / or impressive records.

Conor’s a poor man’s Ben Whitaker - similar records but less charismatic, less handsome and less talented. Why, of all the boxers in the uk, did they pick him.

Baffling.

I listened to the TKO earnings call this morning. Eddie and Benn were mentioned as it was raised about the impact it could have on the UFC.

Mark Shapiro said the money for Benn was being directly by Turki and will be for a super fight.

Seems to me that Turki may be going all in on Zuffa. He could have got Benn to fight on one of his shows and still involved Eddie no doubt but I’d imagine Turki/Dana/Conolly push to do it this way instead.

[Ruthless-RKO]

ANNOUNCED: BENN RETURNS TO TOTTENHAM

Conor Benn will fight Regis Prograis in the co-main event of the Tyson Fury vs Arslanbek Makhmudov card on April 11th

Get your tickets NOW: bit.ly/Fury-Makhmudov…

#FuryMakhmudov | April 11th | LIVE on Netflix | Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

[Ruthless-RKO]

“I side with Eddie because at the end of the day he’s stood by him through some seriously difficult moments with the drug testing, two failures, he stood there and kept battling for his man.

“Conor, I’ve seen some of the videos of some of the things he said about loyalty and money not being the be-all and end-all but that’s how it’s ended up being at the end of the day. He’s not the first, and he won’t be the last to do it.”

“I think Conor’s had a real touch financially, because I still haven’t seen what justifies him getting that much money. He’s not won anything, he’s not fought anybody.”

[Ruthless-RKO]

The Beltline: Conor Benn wants Eddie Hearn to sit in the corner and watch

Having spent years fighting his corner, Eddie Hearn did not expect to one day be told by Conor Benn that if their decade-long relationship was to continue he would need to now go sit in the corner and watch. But that, Benn said, was the new arrangement – the only way it could work.

Somehow worse than the relationship ending, Hearn, via texts and emails, found himself now belittled by the invitation to vicariously participate in whatever Benn got up to with his new fancy man: Dana White. It would have been too painful, perhaps, for Benn to fully separate from the promoter who had for so long fought his corner, so he didn’t. Instead, he simultaneously broke up with Hearn and allowed him to remain in the room: two in a bed, one on a chair tucked away in the corner.

For someone like Hearn, there could be no greater affront. If it wasn’t enough to have Benn believe he was better off elsewhere, the promoter was then essentially offered the job of baggage-handler, or fluffer, so that Benn wouldn’t feel too rotten about the move he had decided to make. Seemingly Benn, as all of us do, had wanted the best of both worlds. He had wanted the money he had been guaranteed by White and his Zuffa Boxing organisation (reportedly $15 million) and he also wanted to remain friends with his ex in order to protect their feelings and retain access to both their gym and Netflix account.

There was a sense, too, that Benn wanted to keep the door ajar for Hearn, just in case. Who knows, he might have feared that White and Zuffa, while good for a night or two, did not represent marriage material. Maybe he recognised that only Eddie Hearn and Matchroom truly understand Conor Benn the way Conor Benn wants to be understood.

Either way, there was a suggestion in the aftermath of Friday’s news that this might not be the end of the Benn-Matchroom journey after all. “I want him [Hearn] to be part of it,” said Benn, confusing matters. “I messaged him directly and said, ‘I want you to be part of the team, man. I want you to be here. The journey’s not done.’ I owe everything to him.”

From Matchroom, however, we heard only shock, disappointment, and notes of regret. We heard from Hearn, we heard from his dad, and we heard from Frank Smith, all of whom said pretty much the same thing: “Damn.” One after another these men spoke of the hurt they felt when learning of Benn’s decision to jump ship and how nobody had seen it coming. They also reminded both Benn and the rest of us of the time they all stuck by the controversial fighter following his two positive performance-enhancing drug tests for clomiphene in 2022. According to Eddie Hearn, a piece of his soul had to be sacrificed when defending Benn during that turbulent time, while Barry Hearn, speaking on talkSPORT, even wondered out loud whether they had misjudged Benn’s character and got it all wrong. Yes, all of it.

Seeing this drama unfold, it was hard not to sympathise with those who had been jilted and betrayed. After all, everything everybody at Matchroom was saying was fair, accurate. Not only had they each put their necks on the line and supported Conor Benn publicly at a time when his reputation was in the gutter, but they had also supported him privately, even lending him “hundreds of thousands of pounds” to tide him over while he was out of work and stuck in failed-test purgatory.

That, for most men, would be enough to guarantee life-long loyalty, regardless of the fresh-cut smell of greener grass. But not for Conor Benn, it would appear. He, despite all that Matchroom has done for him since turning pro in 2016, has an altogether different take on loyalty and the concept of reparations. You would have to be “mentally ill,” he said, to turn down what Zuffa Boxing offered him to turn heel and Benn, 24-1 (14 KOs), is many things but “mentally ill” he is not, apparently. Moreover, Benn is a fighter whose limitations are clearer than his intentions and whose career is destined to be a short if compelling one. In other words, Nigel’s son knows as well as we do that it might not get any better than it is right now and that his small window of opportunity is precisely that: small.

For now, Benn is relevant, he is notorious, and he is everywhere. Since beating Chris Eubank Jnr in their November rematch, he has been spotted at just about every fight and event going and his peroxide blonde hair has ensured he is seen even by those who are sick of the sight of him. There have also been callouts, so many callouts. One day it is Gervonta Davis, the next it is Shakur Stevenson. Then you have Ryan Garcia, the latest big name to tickle Benn’s fancy and the one most likely to fight him.

All these men, whether the same size as Benn or smaller, are more famous than Benn in America and better boxers than him in any ring, but that’s not the point. The point is, Benn, by virtue of his newfound infamy, feels he is now part of the same club and deserves to be rubbing shoulders with the best in the world. Even if you dare remind him that his standout win is a decision over an old, weight-drained Chris Eubank Jnr, and that nothing he has produced to date indicates he is good enough to win a world title, it will fall on deaf ears. It will fall on deaf ears because logic and common sense, like loyalty, no longer have a place in the chaotic, fast-moving world of Conor Benn.

He’s not alone in that respect, either. Numbers, clicks, and views have in fact skewed many boxers’ perception of their worth to such a degree that achievements in the ring are now not worth the paper they were once written on. The same goes for agreements and contracts.

As for Hearn, the promoter, one wonders whether his split from Benn will be total or whether he will occasionally look back at old photos of them together and check that he still follows him on social media. “Is this really the end?” he might ask himself at night, remembering that Benn left the door open and a chair for him in the corner of the room. “Might there be a chance of him coming back to me?”

Considering how the job of a “promoter” has now changed so dramatically, it is not beyond the realms of possibility. Many promoters, in fact, are today content to be no more than advisors, cheerleaders and mascots, with very few needing to expend the same sweat and elbow grease as the men who preceded them. Now they can just attend press conferences, do lots of interviews, and show up on fight night, knowing that much of the risk of putting on an event is mitigated by the Saudi financiers who watch them through a peephole in the bedroom wall. Not only that, we have seen instances in the past where promoters have been able to quickly forget their decades-long dislike for one another if it means maintaining relevance and sharing the wealth. Suddenly then pride and ego disappears. Funny, that.

In this scenario, with Benn, Hearn and White, it could be a little trickier to sell them the idea of a throuple. I say that only because the relationship between Hearn and Benn was less like a partnership, or even marriage, and more like a parent-child relationship. This was never truer than when the child in question was caught misbehaving and needed both the warm embrace and unwavering delusion of a parent. It was at that point the relationship between Hearn and Benn intensified and protection took on a new meaning. Now Hearn, as the promoter, wasn’t just looking to protect Benn with soft fights and a straightforward route to a world title. Now he was protecting him from the public, and from suspicion, and from vultures. He was indeed handling his baggage.

We first saw evidence of this when Hearn, a week after the cancellation of Benn’s fight with Eubank Jnr in 2022, met with a group of boxing journalists at a restaurant somewhere in London. That day Hearn had the unenviable/impossible task of defending a man who was in the eyes of those journalists indefensible, and yet somehow he pulled it off. In his own unique way, an impressively composed Hearn spoke for almost two hours and managed to avoid putting his foot in it or making matters worse. He would have known all the risks, too. He would have known that the chance to bend the narrative in his favour – meaning Benn’s favour – had to be carefully measured against the possibility of it all getting rather messy and him saying too much.

Also, this was not something he had to do, remember. He would have felt some pressure around that time, certainly, but that still didn’t mean Hearn had to put himself in the firing line and leave himself open to ridicule. Even just seeing him try to defend Benn during that grim period left him open to that. It was one thing defending a fighter after a pull-out, a disqualification, or some other kind of mishap, but the idea of defending a “drug cheat” yet to be cleared, having earlier tried to get that same “drug cheat” into a boxing ring, was about as transgressive as it gets for a boxing promoter. By doing so, Hearn wasn’t just playing around with Conor Benn’s reputation. He was playing around with his own.

Then again, that was his job; Benn was his boy. Besides, back when Hearn was busy firefighting in London on Benn’s behalf, he wasn’t merely sitting in the corner of the room asking when he would be allowed to join in. He was instead sitting at the head of the table, with journalists gathered around him, just how he likes it. In that moment, Hearn had power – all the power Conor Benn lacked – and he had belief in the man he was defending; belief, that is, not of his innocence, perhaps, but of Benn’s ability to outlast this controversy and become an even more valuable commodity off the back of it.

What Hearn didn’t anticipate, however, was the prospect of Benn outlasting the process and then outgrowing the people who helped him through it. What Hearn didn’t anticipate was being asked to switch seats just as both he and the commodity were starting to sit comfortably again.

[Ruthless-RKO]

“Sources confirm Turki Alalshikh held a one-fight option on Benn after the Eubank Jr rematch… Instead, the option shifted. Multiple sources indicate Nick Khan persuaded Turki to redirect that option away from Matchroom and toward Zuffa Boxing. That decision didn’t just change a potential opponent. It shifted the promotional center of gravity around Benn’s next fight”.

[Ruthless-RKO]

[golden_labrador]

the mind boggles. still can't understand what this is all about. is the Nigel Benn name really that big to cause all of this?

[Ruthless-RKO]

Derek Chisora makes his feelings clear on Conor Benn leaving Eddie Hearn for Zuffa

Derek Chisora has weighed in with his view on Conor Benn leaving Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing to join Dana White’s Zuffa promotion.

It came as a huge shock last month when it was announced that Benn had parted ways with long-term promoter Hearn in order to join forces with the new upstart Zuffa company fronted by UFC chief White.

Benn had spent his entire career with Matchroom up to that point, dating back to 2016, going through many highs and lows during that decade, including infamous failed drugs tests, and two epic fights with Chris Eubank Jr last year.

He returns to action when he faces Regis Prograis in a 150-catchweight bout on the Tyson Fury vs. Arslanbek Makhmudov card on April 11, where he will receive a reported purse of 15 million dollars.

It is because of that figure why heavyweight contender Chisora has no issues with Benn leaving Hearn, telling Playbook Boxing that his countryman has done the right thing.

“We both know the saying, if you want loyal, you buy a what? A dog. I’m not loyal. Nobody’s loyal when somebody comes and say ‘you know what? I’m gonna give you this much money. Come with me.’

“Let’s not try and make it like what this young man did was so bad. He did good business. If he turned it down, you guys will be like ‘oh, you’re a fool. Why you turn it down for? Oh you’re loyal to Eddie.’ Nah, f**k that, man.”

Chisora has a fight of his own to prepare for next month, as he faces former WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder at The O2 Arena on April 4.

[Ruthless-RKO]

‘Opportunity was presented to me that I couldn’t turn down’: Conor Benn talks Zuffa signing

Conor Benn says he made the best decision for his family.

Conor Benn just caught up with talkSPORT to discuss his much discussed signing with Zuffa Boxing, leaving behind Eddie Hearn and Matchroom after they spent many years going to bat for him during his drug test controversy. While Hearn has given his reaction to the news, Benn had largely been quiet on the matter. Here’s some of what he had to say on his decision to work with Zuffa.

“Ultimately, it’s the best decision for me, my family, my career,” Benn said. “It’s a one-fight deal which I’m ultimately very excited about. It was a matter of ‘do you want to get out there?’ Yeah, sweet, no problem. And here I am. It was a quick turnaround, I stayed in shape, I stayed ready, I stayed disciplined, and ultimately activity is key for me…An opportunity was presented to me that I couldn’t turn down.

“I’ve got love for Matchroom. I’ve got love for Eddie. Irrelevant to what they’ve been saying, what’s been said, I still want Eddie in my corner. I don’t hold any type of feelings towards him. If you ask me to choose out of my family and what sets my family up and my family’s legacy — my kids are my legacy…When I’m done nobody will care, and there will be a new one of me.

“Make hay while the sun is shining and take the best deal for me and what I feel is right for me and my family and it was the best deal by a country mile. So for me I’m excited to be boxing under the Zuffa banner.”

[Glass Joe]

[MightyWarrior]

What an incredible self own by Adam Catterall

[Controversial]

You can’t blame Benn for taking an offer that’s worth millions, he’s right in many ways, the sport is dangerous and short. Plus you are soon forgotten and no matter what you do in boxing everyone has different opinions so someone will always think your crap or overrated. Even fighters like Ali, SRR, FMM and Canelo get their haters. But basic manners or loyalty to his so called friend is the issue, he can flower it up all he wants but to not even bother speaking to Hearn first says a lot about Benn’s character. Or lack of it.

[Ruthless-RKO]

What an incredible self own by Adam Catterall

I think it was a little overboard