Regis Prograis: Conor Benn move to Zuffa Boxing raises tensions for Eddie Hearn

regis prograis — unclear in the provided context. Conor Benn has signed with Dana White's Zuffa Boxing after a 10-year spell with Eddie Hearn's Matchroom Boxing, a decision that has prompted blunt reaction from figures including Johnny Nelson and Chael Sonnen.

Benn ends decade with Matchroom

The 29-year-old Benn had been promoted by Eddie Hearn's Matchroom Boxing organisation since turning professional, but after a 10-year spell he left to sign with UFC boss Dana White's promotional company, Zuffa Boxing. The swap came just months after Benn sought revenge on rival Chris Eubank Jr in their rematch, a November victory for 'The Destroyer' that continued his resurgence after being cleared by UK Anti-Doping to resume his career following failed drug tests in 2022. Benn signed a reportedly lucrative one-fight deal that ended his career-long association with Matchroom Boxing and his next fight will be under the umbrella of Zuffa headed by White and Turki Alalshikh, Chairman of the Saudi Arabian General Entertainment Authority.

Johnny and Jonny Nelson react

Johnny Nelson described the move as a business decision and said the split would "really hurt" Eddie Hearn. Nelson opened by saying, "It's show business. " He added: "I thought Conor and AJ [Anthony Joshua] were the ones that Eddie had a more personal relationship, more than his fighters. He [Hearn] 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 quoted Benn's own explanation for the move: "Conor has said, 'I'm doing it for my family. I'm taking care of me'. " He set out the financial calculus he believes drove the decision, saying: "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. " Nelson concluded that Benn had made "a business move" and that "he's got paid handsomely at a level that he probably would never have got to - and he's alright, he's sorted. "

Chael Sonnen's warning to Hearn

Former UFC star Chael Sonnen issued a stark warning to Eddie Hearn, saying: "So Eddie comes out and he does the one thing that you can't do, Eddie Hearn f***** up. " Sonnen said Dana White "wants a fight" and criticised Hearn for publicly suggesting White had a boss, saying that suggestion was a mistake. "The boss doesn't have a boss and he doesn't like when you say that he does, it's a big mistake by Eddie, " Sonnen said, adding that he had worked under White during his UFC career and that "Dana White does not have a boss. "

Sonnen described the deal for Benn as evidence of premium demand: "You got this gentleman called Benn with a $15m price-tag because he was able to get a premium because somebody else wanted him and there's fiduciary responsibilities. Eddie Hearn and Dana, this round is complete, this is a point for Dana, but Eddie Hearn attempted to say that the boss has a boss. " He also referenced how Dana reacted when Oscar De la Hoya "turned out to bat, " saying White was sometimes disappointed when top targets yielded no resistance and that "he's fighting with babies. " Sonnen warned Hearn to be careful where he picked his battles, acknowledging Hearn's forceful public response but urging caution.

Hearn's response and fallout

Hearn expressed his devastation at the exit of one of his highest-rated fighters. Benn's departure came after a period in which his partnership with Hearn enjoyed its biggest success in November, when 'The Destroyer' beat Chris Eubank Jr in a rematch. The split followed Benn being cleared by UK Anti-Doping after failed drug tests in 2022, and it provoked a public crossfire in which the Mixed Martial Arts head honcho took aim at the Brit in a surprise series of digs from the American. The 46-year-old hit back at his counterpart, and Sonnen then fired a warning to Hearn about how he had managed the dispute.

Regis Prograis and wider questions

Mentions of regis prograis are unclear in the provided context. The debate here has centered on Benn's personal and financial calculus, the $15m offer for his next fight, and the public reactions from figures such as Johnny/Jonny Nelson and Chael Sonnen about the wider business of boxing and promotion.

Whatever the longer-term consequences, the full sequence of events in the context is clear: a 29-year-old fighter left a 10-year promotional relationship, his recent November rematch win and UK Anti-Doping clearance were noted, he signed with Zuffa Boxing under Dana White and Turki Alalshikh, Eddie Hearn called the departure devastating, Johnny/Jonny Nelson called the move a business decision that would hurt Hearn, and Chael Sonnen warned Hearn that he had "f***** up" by the way he spoke about White's position.

Closing details in the provided context are limited to those facts and quoted reactions; any other matters are unclear in the provided context.