Conor Benn in shock split from Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom as he joins rival promoter Dana White

Conor Benn has made a shock switch from Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom promotional company to Zuffa Boxing, which is headed up by UFC president Dana White.

The news came out of nowhere on Friday night, as Benn became the second big-name signing to join Zuffa, following cruiserweight champion Jai Opetaia. Yet the British star’s profile exceeds that of Opetaia, with Benn having captivated and frustrated boxing fans in equal measure in recent years.

Benn, 29, did not compete in Britain for the best part of three years – from April 2022 until April 2025 – due to a drug-test saga in which Matchroom stood by his side. Benn had failed two drug tests in 2022, thwarting a planned fight with domestic rival Chris Eubank Jr, and the episode rumbled on until the “Destroyer” was ultimately able to box on home soil from late 2024.

His return came against Eubank Jr last April, as Benn was beaten for the first time as a professional. The natural welterweight in fact took on Eubank Jr twice at middleweight, winning their rematch in November. Both fights went the distance.

Now Benn, who has been with Matchroom since his professional debut in 2016, has made a shocking switch to Zuffa – just days after White launched a scathing tirade at Hearn, whom Benn has said he would “love to continue to be part of my team”.

“First and foremost, I want to thank Eddie and the entire team at Matchroom for everything they’ve done for me over the past decade,” said Benn, the son of British boxing great Nigel Benn, in a statement. “From guiding me when I first turned pro, to headlining stadium shows, they were not only with me for those highlight moments but stood shoulder to shoulder with me during the tough times.

“It’s been a journey beyond anything we could have imagined, and for their belief, support and guidance, I will always be truly grateful, but Zuffa Boxing presented me with an opportunity I simply couldn’t refuse.

“I’d love Eddie to continue to be part of my team and for our partnership to evolve in this new chapter.

“I’m filled with excitement and hunger for what’s ahead with Zuffa Boxing. 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.”

Zuffa Boxing is being up by White and Saudi government official Turki Alalshikh, the latter of whom has been pivotal to the Gulf nation’s boxing drive in recent years.

On Sunday, White said at a press conference: “There hasn’t been any pushback, this is like beating up babies. I feel like I came in and I’m beating up babies. I expected more, I expected some pushback, I expected some… I don’t know, [for] them to be more game. They’re all way out of their league – like absolutely, positively out of their league.

“I don’t think anybody looks at Eddie Hearn and says: ‘Oh, this guy’s a visionary.’ The guy’s been in boxing forever, I look at him like most politicians. You’ve done nothing in this sport except stay in the lane and play by all the rules and ride right along with what’s been… You ended up becoming part of the problem, is what’s happened.

“And I don’t wanna sit here and smash Eddie Hearn or anything, but Eddie Hearn works for his dad, you know what I mean? He works for dad. I don’t think he’s come in and had any type of vision, whereas we do, and we’re gonna change the entire sport.”

White, 56, was referring to Barry Hearn’s position as Matchroom president, while his son Eddie, 46, works as chairman. However, Eddie Hearn has overseen Matchroom’s boxing branch for years.

“Eddie Hearn and his dad have a lot of money, it’s not like they can’t compete,” White continued. “They can’t compete because they don’t know how to compete; there’s no vision there, I don’t know how else to explain it other than that.”

Hearn hit back on Wednesday, telling media including The Independent: “I was just quite surprised by the nature of what he said, which was ultimately: ‘Eddie Hearn works for his dad.’ That’s kind of what I’ve had my whole career, when they get really flustered and they’re a bit f***ed, to be honest with you.

“I wasn’t expecting him to be so f***ed and flustered so early. When he says I work for my dad, I suppose so, but his dad for many years has been the Fertitta brothers, and now he’s got a new daddy called Turki Alalshikh. Dana White works for Turki Alalshikh. He’s an employee of the company really.”

The Fertitta brothers, Lorenzo and Frank, owned the UFC from 2001 until 2016, while Zuffa Boxing is 60 per cent owned by the Saudi firm Sela and 40 per cent by TKO – the UFC’s ownership group.

Hearn continued: “At the moment, Dana White’s vision is staging mediocre fights in his garage in front of about 112 people, with fighters like Callum Walsh, and [analyst] Max Kellerman telling you: ‘This guy, I think, is the next Roy Jones [Jr].’ Or headlining with Charles Martin on a Sunday night, saying: ‘This is like [Muhammad] Ali vs [Larry] Holmes, this match-up.’”

Hearn, 46, was referring to Zuffa Boxing’s events so far taking place in the Meta Apex, a small indoor facility in Las Vegas.

“They’re trying to manipulate the boxing fans, who won’t fall for it because they’re not idiots, but maybe the wider world will,” Hearn added.