Conor Benn has made an emotional plea to Eddie Hearn, insisting he wants to preserve their friendship despite leaving Matchroom for Zuffa Boxing last month. The welterweight's move to the promotion headed by UFC president Dana White surprised many, with Hearn publicly expressing hurt over the decision.
Speaking to Gary Neville on The Overlap, Benn explained his actions: 'It's more of an ego thing. Of course they understand, I know Eddie. I didn't tell Eddie [about the Zuffa deal in advance but] we spoke, I sent him a nice, long message. Let's catch up when the dust has settled.' He added that his deal with Zuffa is only for one fight, after which he will be a free agent.
Benn also revealed that the financial offer from Zuffa was significantly less than what he could earn with Matchroom. 'It's not even close,' he said. 'Until you're in that position, you won't know; any fight can be the last fight.' He reflected on his three-year legal battle and suspension, noting that he paid his own legal bills and received no support from others.
The 29-year-old's next bout is against American Regis Prograis on 11 April, on the undercard of Tyson Fury vs Arslanbek Makhmudov. The fight will be at a 150lb catchweight and streamed live on Netflix. Benn previously fought Chris Eubank Jr twice in 2025, losing the first bout before winning the rematch.
