Conor Benn shocked the boxing world last week by announcing he has signed with Dana White's Zuffa Boxing.
The British son of a legend had been represented by Eddie Hearn since he made his debut in 2016 and last year became one of the most high-profile fighters in the world thanks to his two fights with bitter rival Chris Eubank Jr. Benn looked set to make a big splash this year as he attempted to crack America and earn himself a world title shot.
But his immediate future looks to have been muddied by his shock switch. Here, we take a look at everything we know so far about Benn's £10million deal with UFC CEO Dana White...
Why is Eddie Hearn so upset?Eddie Hearn believes Conor Benn owed him loyalty given their long relationship. Hearn has promoted Benn since his professional debut 10 years ago and stood by him after he failed two drug tests in the build-up to his ill-fated bout with Chris Eubank Jr in 2020. Hearn loaned Benn £500,000 during his battle to clear his name - which was repaid - and believes he has been cast aside by Benn in making the move to Zuffa.
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Was Conor Benn under contract?No. Eddie Hearn has admitted he should have tied Conor Benn down to a new deal, but the fighter was free to speak to other promoters and has accepted Dana White's multi-million-pound deal. Benn has signed a one-fight deal with Zuffa Boxing, meaning he will be a free agent again in the coming months.
Who will Conor Benn fight next?Great question. Zuffa Boxing's limited roster does not offer Conor Benn a fight of the level he has been pitching for. He has previously called out Ryan Garcia, Rolly Romero and Shakur Stevenson but none of those are possibilities for the Brit's next bout. One report has suggested Benn will take on Zuffa poster boy Callum Walsh in a middleweight fight this spring, likely in the UK.
But Conor Benn said he's not a middleweight?Very true. After his two-fight series with Chris Eubank Jr, Conor Benn made it clear he would be returning to welterweight and chasing a world title. But clearly money talks and Benn would appear to have been tempted by this highly-lucrative 'side quest'.
Can he still win a world title?He can, but in theory not with Zuffa Boxing. Benn has long craved the WBC belt, a version of which his dad Nigel held during his world title-winning career. But Zuffa have made it clear they will not recognise the four traditional world titles and will instead promoted their version. This has been muddled somewhat by the signing of IBF cruiserweight world champion Jai Opetaia who claims he can become the undisputed ruler under the Zuffa banner.
Could Anthony Joshua also leave Eddie Hearn?Anthony Joshua signed a career-long deal with Matchroom five years ago and so is off limits for Dana White. But should Joshua fight Tyson Fury, White is expected to play a role in the promotion of the fight with Netflix expected to fight hard to stream the all-British heavyweight showdown.
