Regis Prograis: Conor Benn decision to join Dana White and Zuffa Boxing will 'really hurt' Eddie Hearn, says Jonny Nelson

Conor Benn has signed with Dana White and Zuffa Boxing, a move that Johnny Nelson described as a business decision that could "really hurt" promoter Eddie Hearn. The story has prompted wider discussion of fighters' choices and names like regis prograis have been mentioned in recent debate.

Regis Prograis and reaction

Jonny Nelson used the phrase "really hurt" when describing Eddie Hearn’s likely reaction to Conor Benn’s departure. Johnny Nelson also framed the switch as "a business move, " stressing that Benn had prioritised his own career and family. The 29-year-old Benn has said, "I'm doing it for my family. I'm taking care of me. "

Benn's move and timeline

Benn had been promoted by Eddie Hearn's Matchroom Boxing organisation since turning professional. After a 10-year spell with Matchroom, Benn left to sign with UFC boss White's promotional company, Zuffa Boxing. The move followed months of public discussion about Benn's future and offers on the table.

Nelson's quoted analysis

"It's show business, " Johnny Nelson said, adding that he thought Conor and AJ [Anthony Joshua] were fighters with whom Eddie had a more personal relationship. "He will be really hurt because he thought they were friends. And Conor has done what most fighters should do, which is take care of themselves. "

Nelson expanded on the financial realities for fighters: "I know a lot of fighters that were household names, that haven't got two pennies because of decisions they made in their career, because of times when they should have moved on and made a better decision in their life, but they didn't. So this is what Conor has done. He's done a business move. "

November win and clearance

Benn and Hearn's partnership had its biggest success in November when 'The Destroyer' defeated Chris Eubank Jr in a rematch to continue his resurgence. That resurgence followed Benn being cleared by UK Anti-Doping to resume his career after failed drug tests in 2022.

Money and the $15m offer

Nelson laid out a hypothetical that informed Benn's decision: "Say if Conor Benn boxed his next fight, and he didn't take this deal, he stayed with Eddie, and maybe he got two or three million, and he lost. Then, then all of a sudden, his career starts to go downhill. But he's been offered $15m for his next fight. I totally get it. "

He continued: "If he should be at that level, then he'll stay at that level and make a lot more money. If he's not at that level, he swam the channel, he's done well. He's got paid handsomely at a level that he probably would never have got to - and he's alright, he's sorted. "

Messages, interviews and other notes

Nelson said he had seen an interview in which Eddie Hearn said: "I sent him a message saying, I think we should talk. " Nelson added that Conor said no. "I can understand why Conor didn't speak to him, because it would have been very hard to actually stick to his decision. "

The coverage also referenced upcoming fight nights and schedules, including a mention to watch Caroline Dubois vs Terri Harper and Ellie Scotney’s undisputed title fight on April 5. There was an editorial note advising: "Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player. " Other items in the same coverage included the line: "Boxing schedule 2026: When are the big fights?" and the suggestion to "Listen to the Toe2Toe podcast every week. "

All parties named in the original coverage are central to the sequence of events: Conor Benn, Eddie Hearn, Matchroom Boxing, Dana White, Zuffa Boxing, Johnny Nelson (and the alternate spelling Jonny Nelson as used in headlines), AJ [Anthony Joshua], Chris Eubank Jr, UK Anti-Doping and the failed drug tests in 2022. The full set of quotes and the $15m figure figure into Nelson's assessment of Benn's choice.

The debate over the move remains focused on career management, finances and relationships between fighters and promoters.