The boxing world was stunned on Friday when one of Matchroom’s most valued assets in Conor Benn signed with Dana White’s Zuffa Boxing.
We have since learned, through DAZN commentator Chris Mannix, that Benn (24-1, 14 KOs) signed a one-fight deal — possibly earning $15,000,000, per veteran reporter Dan Rafael. The signing of one of Britain’s best-known stars will only boost Zuffa’s ambitious launch in the UK, with Benn’s debut for the upstart organization taking place at the end of May, but no official date or venue yet announced.
Benn’s former promoter Eddie Hearn was blindsided by his promotional rival, and insults have persisted between the pair. White labelled Hearn a ‘p****’ for crying about the loss, after Hearn described Zuffa’s events as a ‘pile of s***’ shortly before Benn switched camps.
Hearn said the deal was particularly devastating as Matchroom advocated for Benn after he failed two drug tests ahead of the originally planned clash with Chris Eubank Jr in 2022. The WBC cleared Benn in 2023, allowing him to fight in the US, but UK Anti Doping (UKAD) wouldn’t clear the 29-year-old until November 2024. In that time, Hearn said he loaned Benn hundreds of thousands of pounds.
Benn faced Eubank Jr in back-to-back bouts at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium last year, losing the first fight by unanimous-decision, but reversing that result in their rematch.
An opponent for Benn is yet to be announced, but new WBC welterweight champion Ryan Garcia could be in play. Garcia’s promoter Oscar de la Hoya, though, has lambasted White over the years, increasing his insults since Zuffa launched.
Regardless, it’s a fight Benn considers as he posted his congratulations to Garcia on X, adding:
“See you later this year. Make sure you keep my belt warm.”
Benn also said in an interview with Sky Sports that he expects to face Garcia in September. A bout with Garcia will need to marinate.
One thing we do know is that Benn will not fight for Zuffa at super welterweight, a weight class he was expected to campaign in having moved up to middleweight to challenge Eubank Jr. This is because Zuffa recently announced they will only recognize boxing’s original eight weight classes, down from the usual 17. And super welterweight is not on the list.
Benn told Sky Sports on Monday that his focus remains on 147: “Rolly Romero [WBA welterweight champion], Shakur [Stevenson], [Devin] Haney, I really want a piece of the American pie.”
There are, though, no marquee names in Zuffa’s otherwise barren welterweight division, and so White may lean on Riyadh Season partnership.
Zuffa have no current UK television deal, but Sky Sports have been rumored to be making a play for the project, which is aligned to Turki Alalshikh.
More broadly, Zuffa’s stable is in a state of growth with cruiserweight world champion Jai Opetaia joining the outfit last month. Opetaia locks horns with Brandon Glanton for the inaugural Zuffa title at 200 pounds on Mar. 8.
