Conor Benn signs lucrative Zuffa Boxing 'multi-year deal' as talk heats up over Ryan Garcia fight

Callum Vurley
Fri, 17 Apr 2026 16:20:22 +0000

Conor Benn has committed his future to Zuffa Boxing, penning a multi-fight, multi-year agreement with Dana White's promotional outfit.

The 29-year-old British welterweight secured the deal following his points victory over former two-time world champion Regis Prograis across ten rounds at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium last weekend.

The bout appeared on the undercard of Tyson Fury's triumph against Arslanbek Makhmudov.

Benn's decision to join Zuffa represents a seismic shift in his career, ending a partnership with Eddie Hearn's Matchroom Boxing that spanned nearly a decade.

The move was first signalled in February when Benn initially signed a single-fight contract with the rival promotion, reportedly worth $15m.

Despite the questions surrounding his performance against Prograis, who later revealed a pre-fight injury had hampered him more than initially disclosed, Benn remains focused on his ultimate objective.

"Career's heading in the same direction which is world title by the end of the year, God willing, and just mega-fights," Benn previously said.

"That's the plan. Give the supporters, the fans what they want."

The fighter, nicknamed "The Destroyer", has expressed his commitment to delivering for his audience.

There has been talk of a fight against WBC welterweight champion Ryan Garcia, who Benn called out on social media recently.

"I'm a servant of the public and I want to give the supporters the biggest and the best fights possible," he added. "I know we've got big plans for me to take the world by storm."

Hearn, who watched from ringside at Tottenham, offered a sobering assessment of his former fighter's championship prospects at 147lb.

"I think he can cause world-class fighters problems. Can he beat them? Now, after what I saw on Saturday, not in a million years," Hearn told Boxing News.

The Matchroom chief maintained that Benn performs better at heavier weights, referencing his middleweight bouts with Chris Eubank Jr.

"I think Conor Benn up at 154lb and 160lb is a much-better fighter. I don't think he beats those guys at 147lb, but I do think he's a world-class fighter," Hearn said.

Hearn acknowledged the complexity of evaluating Benn's abilities, noting there could be domestic-level opponents capable of defeating him while simultaneously refusing to diminish his standing entirely.

"I'm not gonna sit here and start saying, 'No, he couldn't win a Southern Area title,' [but] there are also guys at British level that could probably beat him. But I think Conor has the attributes to be competitive in fights," he said.

Benn's split from Matchroom came after Hearn had supported him throughout his entire professional career, including standing by the fighter following two failed anti-doping tests in 2022.