Conor Benn switch to Dana White’s Zuffa branded ‘outrageous’ by Hearn
Matchroom president Barry Hearn has called Conor Benn’s defection to Dana White’s Zuffa Boxing stable “horrible” and “outrageous”.
Benn announced his shock departure from Matchroom, which had promoted him throughout his 10-year professional career, on Friday.
The move saw the son of former two-division world champion become the biggest signing yet for Zuffa Boxing, the new promotion run by UFC chief White and backed by Saudi Arabia.
“This wasn’t the average relationship with a contracted boxer, this was special. Conor was as close as he could have been to being part of the family,” said Hearn, father of Matchroom Boxing boss Eddie Hearn.
“When Eddie suggested to him by text that they meet to discuss it, Conor suggested it’s best to go through lawyers.
“After 10 years of what we’ve gone through with him, I think in my 50-odd years of promoting sport, this is the most horrible, outrageous… I can’t describe the feeling of when you’ve been let down.”
Benn Matchroom exit ‘classless’, says Hearn
Matchroom stood by Benn during an 18-month absence from the ring while he fought doping allegations and he reached new heights last year with two fights against Chris Eubank Jr, the son of Nigel Benn’s nemesis, winning the rematch in November.
“I suppose it’s a bit like you’ve been married for 10 years and your wife walks out and you think, why? I didn’t think he was that type of boy. It’s a classless way of doing it when you’ve got an open relationship,” Hearn added on TalkSport.
“With the last Eubank fight, we couldn’t have been in a better position. It’s sad to think that Conor went off to America just to solicit offers and got a huge one. But you don’t disband a team and even if you do, you don’t do it by text or by lawyers.”
White, who is credited with turning UFC into a multi-billion-dollar business, launched Zuffa Boxing last year in partnership with Saudi impresario Turki Alalshikh.
It staged its first show in January and is due to run its first title fight next month between cruiserweights Jai Opetaia and Brandon Glanton. No date has been set for Benn’s debut with the promotion.