Regis Prograis mention as Conor Benn signs with Dana White's Zuffa Boxing, Jonny Nelson says Hearn will be 'really hurt'
regis prograis Conor Benn has signed to Dana White’s Zuffa Boxing, and Sky Sports expert Johnny Nelson — the story headline spells his name as Jonny Nelson — said the move will "really hurt" promoter Eddie Hearn while calling it a "business move. " The 29-year-old left Hearn's Matchroom Boxing after a 10-year spell to join the UFC boss's promotional company.
Nelson: "It's show business"
Nelson told Sky Sports News, "It's show business. " He said he thought Benn and AJ [Anthony Joshua] were the fighters Eddie Hearn had a more personal relationship with than others, and that Hearn "will be really hurt because he thought they were friends. " Nelson added that "Conor has done what most fighters should do, which is take care of themselves. "
Benn's background and November rematch
Benn had been promoted by Hearn's Matchroom Boxing since turning professional. The partnership's biggest success came in November when "The Destroyer" defeated Chris Eubank Jr in a rematch to continue his resurgence after being cleared by UK Anti-Doping to resume his career following failed drug tests in 2022.
Why Benn chose the deal
Nelson relayed an exchange he said he saw in an interview in which Hearn had messaged Benn: "I sent him a message saying, I think we should talk. " Benn's response, Nelson said, was no. Nelson said he could understand Benn's decision: "Conor has said, 'I'm doing it for my family. I'm taking care of me. '"
Money on the table: $15m offer
Nelson put the financial choice in stark terms, saying that if Benn had stayed with Hearn he might have earned "two or three million" for his next fight and risked losing it — and potentially seeing his career go "downhill. " "But he's been offered $15m for his next fight, " Nelson said. "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. "
Reaction and the practical point Nelson made
Nelson warned that many former household-name fighters have been left with little money because they made poor career decisions. "I know a lot of fighters that were household names, that haven't got two pennies because of decisions they made in their career, " he said, adding that "this what Conor has done. He's done a business move. " Nelson concluded that Benn "has got paid handsomely at a level that he probably would never have got to - and he's alright, he's sorted. "
Sky Sports programming and how to follow
The piece also highlighted upcoming programming: viewers can watch Caroline Dubois vs Terri Harper and Ellie Scotney’s undisputed title fight on April 5, live on Sky Sports. The coverage notes readers should use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player and invites them to follow Sky Sports on WhatsApp for the latest sports news, videos and features. It also mentions the Toe2Toe podcast and a boxing schedule for 2026.
The next confirmed event tied to the coverage is the April 5 broadcast of Caroline Dubois vs Terri Harper and Ellie Scotney’s undisputed title fight, listed as live on Sky Sports.
