Keith Connolly claims the arrival of Zuffa Boxing changed the direction of Conor Benn’s career and changed negotiations with Eddie Hearn and Matchroom.

“The offer was many times higher than what they were offering,” Connolly said, discussing Benn’s departure from Matchroom. “People thought there was no competition at the time because DAZN was the only game in town and Zuffa came along around the time Conor was going into free agency.”

Connolly believes Benn entered free agency right when a fresh player entered the market.

“I think maybe people miscalculated that it was the only show in town and that there would be no other offers. It’s possible. And then a huge offer came along and that’s where we are,” Connolly told iFL TV.

Connolly said Benn’s team met with Matchroom before making their decision, but said the figures discussed did not match the final offer they received elsewhere.

“We had one in Recent York the week of Teofimo-Shakur and we told them what we expected. They scored much lower than we thought. Since he was a free agent, we decided to test the market.”

The discussion also touched on the breakdown in communication that followed Benn’s departure from Matchroom. Connolly defended the decision to send the offer by email rather than handle everything privately over the phone.

“We protected ourselves legally by emailing the offer as to what we should do,” Connolly said. “This is the mechanism that should be used when you receive an offer where the promoter has the rights.”

Connolly added that Benn still wanted Hearn involved once a fresh deal was finalized.

“We still want you on the team,” Connolly said. “Conor wanted Eddie in the band.”

Olly Campbell is a boxing journalist covering this sport since 2014, providing reports from the ring and technical analyzes of the most essential fights. His work focuses on fighter tendencies, tactical adjustments and the details that shape high-level competition.

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Last updated: 17/05/2026 at 23:00

Thomas Hearns once revealed his list of the greatest boxers of all time, and the popular choice propelled him to the top spot.

Hearns was the first boxer in history to become world champion in five weight classes, after triumphing in the welterweight, welterweight, middleweight, super middleweight and airy heavyweight divisions.

He was a member of the iconic “Four Kings” team that dominated the sport in the 1980s, along with fellow stars Sugar Ray Leonard, Marvin Hagler and Roberto Duran.

When Hearns presented the list the list of the 10 greatest boxers of all time included all three of these former rivals, as well as some of the biggest names in boxing history.

10: Marvin Hagler. 9: George Foreman. 8: Floyd Mayweather. 7: Mike Tyson. 6: Sugar Ray Leonard. 5: Wilfred Benitez 4: Roberto Duran.

In third place, “The Hitman” sided with himself and then named the heavyweight legend the second best of all time.

3: Thomas Hearns. 2: Joe Frazier.

When it comes to the greatest fighter of all time, there was only one answer for Hearns and that was another icon of the heavyweight division.

1: Muhammad Ali.

Ali became the heavyweight champion of the world three times and participated in some of the most memorable fights in history, including “Rumble In The Jungle” v. George Foreman and “Thrilla In Manila” against Joe Frazier.

His final record was 56 wins in 61 fights, also defeating the likes of Sonny Liston, Floyd Patterson, Ken Norton and Earnie Shavers, and the opinion of Hearns and many others shows why Ali more than deserves the nickname “The Greatest”.

WBC welterweight champion Ryan Garcia used Kick’s live feed to identify Conor Benn as his next opponent, informing viewers that the fight was headed to Las Vegas. Garcia shared his comments while streaming with rapper 6ix9ine, and the clip spread widely on social media over the next few hours.

“It will be in August,” Garcia said during the broadcast, per Yahoo Sports. “We’ll have it in Vegas. His name is Conor Benn, from the UK. We’ll swallow it. Conor’s about to get kicked out.”

Ryan Garcia vs. Conor Benn September 12 according to Ryan Garcia 👇🏽 pic.twitter.com/y9tcnWyZPZ

— Vinny’s Corner (@VinnysCorner1) May 17, 2026

Garcia’s broadcast announcement initially pointed to an August date in Las Vegas. Promoter Eddie Hearn has since indicated that a September 12 Netflix premiere for the series is under discussion if other dates are not set. “Netflix is ​​only going to do a certain number of fights and the talk is that the Benn-Garcia fight will now take place on September 12 or whenever that happens,” Hearn said in comments reported by Boxing 247.

The date of September 12 would mean a collision with another party event on the same evening. Turki Alalshikh confirmed on Friday that Canelo Álvarez will face WBC super middleweight champion Christian Mbilli on September 12 in Riyad.

Where the fight is

Garcia (27-1, 22 KO) holds the WBC welterweight title after winning a unanimous decision over Mario Barrios in February. Benn (25-1, 14 KO) is the mandatory challenger for the WBC 147-pound title and most recently defeated Regis Prograis by unanimous decision on April 11 at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, fighting at the 150-pound catchweight in his Zuffa Boxing debut.

After his victory over Prograis, Benn made a direct call for a title fight. “Garcia, I want my belt. I want my belt. Keep my belt sultry. September, let’s go,” Benn said in the video reported by ESPN. On May 7, the Briton sent a second video message addressed to Garcia.

The fight faces promotional hurdles. Benn left Matchroom earlier this year to sign with Zuffa Boxing under Dana White. Garcia remains affiliated with Golden Boy Promotions and Oscar De La Hoya. How Social boxing As noted, friction between White and De La Hoya is well-established.

History of drug testing

Both players served suspensions due to unfavorable drug test results. Benn’s case was resolved in November 2024 when the UK National Anti-Doping Panel lifted his provisional suspension. Garcia served a one-year suspension after testing positive for ostarine in connection with his April 2024 fight with Devin Haney.

Which has been confirmed

Garcia’s comments on the stream do not constitute a signed contract, and no joint statement has been released by Golden Boy Promotions or Zuffa Boxing. The press conference, broadcast deal, location and terms of the deal have not yet been confirmed. Reports from Sky Sports and DAZN characterize negotiations as ongoing.