Spoiling for a fight, Dana White’s delay over their proposed boxing match appears to have left Eddie Hearn disappointed. However, the Matchroom head is not one to back down easily. Conor Benn‘s recent move, a multi-fight deal with White’s Zuffa, has rekindled hopes. Only this time, the exchange could unfold in a courthouse.
Eddie Hearn’s frustration centers on how Benn’s deal played out. The $15 million, one-fight agreement effectively ended with the recent Regis Prograis fight, which was expected to mark a clean break. Instead, Benn quickly moved into a fresh contract with White, a development that has raised questions within Hearn’s camp.
“Unbelievable,” he said. “So quick, you know; imagine doing a one-fight deal and then imagine no one from the organization even attending the fight, and then, two days later, you’ve already done a new deal. It’s almost like it was never a one-fight deal.”
Still feeling the impact of Benn’s departure, Hearn believes the move warrants legal scrutiny.
That stance also brings a separate challenge into focus. While Hearn’s rivalry with Dana White continues to build, he must also work with Turki Alalshikh, one of Zuffa’s backers, for the Anthony Joshua-Tyson Fury fight. So will the pursuit of a legal case against White jeopardize his working relationship with Alalshikh?
“We’ll protect our position at all costs at all times,” Hearn replied. “And there have been conversations, you know, ongoing legal conversations, and yes, we will absolutely seek clarity because all we just need to make sure of is that we weren’t lied to.
“And that, you know, these people involved…all these people had no other conversations with these people planning anything other than a one-fight deal for $15 million against Regis Prograis in a 10-round bout on an undercard. I mean, it sounds very believable. So, we’ll have to see.”
Hearn has hinted at this concern before. A month earlier, while speaking with Fight Hub TV’s Marcos Villegas, he raised a similar point.
Eddie Hearn vs. Dana White: from callout to courtroom
“Yeah, I mean, obviously, we’ve got to see if (the Regis Prograis fight) is the (reported $15m) payday,” Hearn said. “I can’t say too much because there’s a bit of a legal process regarding that. Well, obviously, you know, when you get an opportunity to match, you have to make sure that it was actually what you were asked to match. You know what I mean? So, you know, we shall see. It’s going to be interesting to say the least.”
At the same time, tensions between Hearn and White have intensified in recent days, adding another layer to the situation.
He even suggested the fight with White could headline an event, with each earning $30 million. It is within this setting that the Conor Benn situation continues to develop.
For boxing fans, however, the situation remains complicated. Interest grew after it emerged Benn could step in against Ryan Garcia, the welterweight champion. How Hearn’s legal pursuit, as he suggests, fits into that picture remains to be seen.
