Eddie Hearn has said he is ‘devastated’ following Conor Benn’s decision to sign with Dana White’s outfit Zuffa Boxing – and admitted that he may have ‘misjudged the character’ of the boxer.
The 29-year-old, son of British legend Nigel Benn, sensationally announced on Thursday that he was ditching Hearn’s promotion Matchroom Boxing after a decade-long relationship.
Benn, who has ambitions of winning the WBC welterweight title, thanked Hearn for standing by him during the tough periods of his career and said he was excited for a ‘new chapter’ aimed at securing ‘legacy fights’ on the biggest stages.
But Hearn, whose promotion guided the British boxing star from his 2016 debut to headlining cards and helped him through a series of failed drug tests, has hit out at the fighter.
Speaking to iFL TV after Benn’s bombshell announcement, the 46-year-old promoter claimed he was informed of the decision by the boxer’s lawyer before being refused a phone call with him.
‘Me personally, pretty devastated,’ Hearn said of his reaction to the news. ‘I have had a few days to digest what might happen. It is not often you get shocked.
Eddie Hearn has said he is ‘devastated’ at Conor Benn’s decision to sign with Zuffa Boxing
Benn announced he was joining the promotion led by Dana White late on Friday evening
‘I blame myself. I forgot it was boxing. I just felt the loyalty that we have shown would never ever put us in this position.’
Hearn added that he ‘misjudged the character’ of Benn by feeling the ‘loyalty’ he had shown him ‘would be enough to talk it through or get close to a number’.
He continued: ‘It feels a little bit of a wasted few years. I gave a lot… I believed him and I backed him and I never gave in when he was done, out. Loaned him hundreds of thousands of pounds, but yeah on we go.’
‘I just think the way it was done was very very wrong,’ he added. ‘But everyone is different. Some people, loyalty really matters, other people maybe not so.
‘The way it played out to receive an email from the lawyer and then to ask for a call and not the willingness to have it, you just lose a bit of your soul to it.’
Benn, whose most recent fight was his rematch victory over Chris Eubank Jr in December, announced his decision late on Friday night and led his social media statements thanking Hearn and Matchroom ‘for everything they’ve done’.
But Eubank Jr, who won the first fight last April, launched a scathing attack on his old foe on X.
‘So Eddie Hearns (sic) #1 fighter has now left him,’ the boxer’s post read.
The 29-year-old beat Chris Eubank Jr in a rematch between the fighters last December
‘Eddie stuck by Conor Benn through thick & thin, getting him off of drug charges & giving him money to live when he had nothing.
‘I guess this really shows just how much of a scumbag Hearn actually is… he saves his fighters life & career & Conor still doesn’t want to be involved with him. Or is Benn the scumbag for dumping the man that built him? (thinking emoji).
‘This really is a conundrum. Scumbag on scumbag violence at its finest… don’t say I didn’t tell you guys.’
Benn claimed Zuffa Boxing ‘presented me with an opportunity I simply couldn’t refuse’ and said he hoped his old promoter could ‘continue to be a part of my team’.
‘I’m filled with excitement and hunger for what’s ahead with Zuffa Boxing,’ Benn’s statement continued.
‘I want the legacy fights, the biggest nights, the biggest stages. I fear no man at any weight, and I’m ready to give the fans the fights they’ve been calling for. I’m in my prime, and together we have bold, ambitious plans.’
The announcement came as a major shock in the sport, given Matchroom’s decision to stick by Benn when after he failed two drug tests in 2022.
The promotion’s continued backing throughout the episode was widely noted, and Benn eventually returned to boxing on home soil in late 2024.
Hearn admitted that he may have ‘misjudged the character’ of British welterweight star Benn
Against that backdrop, Benn’s move to Zuffa – founded by UFC chief executive White – appears motivated by both financial and strategic factors.
The deal is understood in boxing circles to be lucrative – reportedly a one-fight agreement worth eight figures – which would leave Benn a free agent again after his promotional debut with Zuffa.
The switch also places Benn at the centre of the new promoter’s early ambitions to attract high-profile names and stage blockbuster events. Among the potential targets generating intrigue is American star Ryan Garcia, whom Benn has long pursued.
Garcia’s own promotional situation remains uncertain amid conflicting claims involving Golden Boy Promotions and founder Oscar De La Hoya. Garcia has suggested his contract with Golden Boy is due to expire on Sunday, while De La Hoya maintains multiple bouts remain on the agreement.
The public back-and-forth, set against Benn’s new deal with Zuffa, has intensified speculation that a Benn-Garcia showdown could materialise as one of the promotion’s first marquee matchups if the contractual picture clears.
It is understood Zuffa is planning multiple London events throughout 2026, raising the prospect of Benn and Garcia headlining a blockbuster show after Benn previously claimed the pair could sell out a stadium.
Benn is also expected to be ringside for Garcia’s forthcoming contest against Mario Barrios, raising the prospect of a face-off or promotional moment that could further stoke anticipation around a possible transatlantic showdown.
White called Benn’s signing a ‘huge addition’ to his team.
Benn has long pursued a fight against American welterweight talent Ryan Garcia
‘Conor Benn is an absolute beast and a superstar,’ he said in a statement.
‘He shows up every time and destroys people, and now some of the best fighters in the world are calling him out.
‘He’s ready for a world title next and I can’t wait to see him compete in Zuffa Boxing.
‘He’s going to be a huge addition to a growing stable of very talented boxers.’
