One-fight Zuffa deal ends long Matchroom run while Benn keeps door open with Hearn
Conor Benn has left Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom for a one-fight deal with Zuffa. He says he still wants Hearn in his corner despite the split.
Benn made clear there are no hard feelings toward Hearn, even after the reaction to his departure. “I have got love for Matchroom, and I have love for Eddie,” Benn said to talkSport Boxing, saying, “Irrelevant of what’s been said, I still want Eddie in my corner. I don’t hold any type of feelings towards them.”
The move ends a long association with Matchroom, where Hearn had backed Benn through key stages of his career, including the period when the fighter was working to clear his name after a positive test for a banned substance. Hearn has since said he was disappointed not to receive a direct call from Benn before the decision was made and pointed to the support he had provided, both professionally and financially.
Benn has instead opted for a short-term deal, confirming that his April 11 fight is part of a one-fight agreement with Zuffa. He described the offer as the best available option for his situation. “Ultimately, it’s the best decision for me, my family, my career,” Benn said.
What follows remains unclear. Benn has not committed beyond the single fight, leaving open whether he could return to Matchroom or continue with Zuffa if further offers are made. The deal that brought him there was described as the best by a wide margin, and any extension would likely come on similar terms. Whether a return to Matchroom would be possible has not been addressed, although Hearn has not shown a pattern of holding fighters to past decisions.
The business relationship has changed. The personal one, at least from Benn’s side, is something he says he has not closed off.
