Regis Prograis: Reactions pile up after Conor Benn joins Dana White’s Zuffa Boxing

Conor Benn has signed to Dana White’s Zuffa Boxing, a move that has split opinion across the sport and left promoter Eddie Hearn visibly upset. regis prograis unclear in the provided context.

Johnny Nelson calls Benn’s decision a "business move" that will "really hurt" Eddie Hearn

Expert Johnny Nelson said Benn’s switch to Zuffa Boxing will have "really hurt" promoter Eddie Hearn while stressing it is "a business move. " Nelson said: "It's show business. " He added that he thought Benn and Anthony Joshua were fighters with whom Hearn had a more personal relationship than with others, and that Hearn will be hurt because he thought they were friends.

Nelson argued that Conor Benn had "done what most fighters should do, which is take care of themselves, " and warned that many household-name fighters have been left with little because of career decisions. Nelson recounted an interview in which Hearn said he had messaged Benn: "I sent him a message saying, I think we should talk. " Nelson said Benn declined and that he could understand why, quoting Benn as saying: "I'm doing it for my family. I'm taking care of me. "

End of a 10-year Matchroom Boxing partnership after November rematch win

The 29-year-old had been promoted by Matchroom Boxing since turning professional but left after a 10-year spell to sign with the promotional company run by UFC boss Dana White. Benn’s partnership with Eddie Hearn reached its high point in November, when 'The Destroyer' defeated Chris Eubank Jr in a rematch. That win continued Benn’s resurgence after he was cleared by UK Anti-Doping to resume his career following failed drug tests in 2022.

Chael Sonnen: "Eddie Hearn f***** up" in the Dana White drama

Former UFC star Chael Sonnen warned Eddie Hearn he had picked the wrong fight with Dana White after Benn’s controversial move. Sonnen said Benn signed a reportedly lucrative one-fight deal that ended his career-long association with Matchroom Boxing and that Zuffa made an offer which Benn accepted.

Sonnen said: "So Eddie comes out and he does the one thing that you can't do, Eddie Hearn f***** up. " He described Dana White as someone who "wants a fight, " referenced Oscar De la Hoya turning out to bat, and said White had been disappointed not to face more resistance when pursuing top fighters. Sonnen added: "I'm telling you right now, I've been over there for 19 years, " and argued there is a $15m price-tag on Benn because another party wanted him and paid a premium.

Sonnen also criticised Hearn for suggesting White had a boss, declaring that "the boss doesn't have a boss" and that "Dana White does not have a boss. " The context notes that "the 46-year-old hit back at his counterpart, " but who is meant by that age is unclear in the provided context.

Money and motivations: $15m offer versus "two or three million"

Nelson laid out a stark financial contrast, saying that if Benn had stayed with Hearn he might have made "two or three million" for his next fight and risked a loss that could send his career downhill. Instead, Nelson said Benn has been offered $15m for his next fight and that, if he can perform at that level, he will remain at the top and "make a lot more money. " Nelson concluded that Benn has been "paid handsomely at a level that he probably would never have got to - and he's alright, he's sorted. "

Fight nights and viewing notes, plus other boxing mentions

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One further note: the name regis prograis appears in the article header by requirement but is not discussed in the exchanges detailed above; regis prograis unclear in the provided context.