Keith Connolly says the arrival of Zuffa Boxing modified the direction of Conor Benn’s profession and altered negotiations with Eddie Hearn and Matchroom.
“The offer was multiple times higher than what they were offering,” Connolly said when discussing Benn’s move away from Matchroom. “People thought there was no competition on the market on the time because DAZN was the one game on the town and Zuffa popped up right across the time Conor was going into free agency.”
Connolly believes Benn’s entry into free agency got here at the precise moment a brand new player entered the market.
“I believe possibly people miscalculated that they were the one show on the town and that there can be no other offers. That’s a possibility. After which an enormous offer jumped out, and that’s where we’re at,” said Connolly to iFL TV.
Connolly said Benn’s team did meet with Matchroom before making the move, but claimed the numbers discussed were nowhere near the eventual offer they received elsewhere.
“We had one in Recent York on the week of Teofimo-Shakur, and we told them what we were expecting. They got here in rather a lot lower than we thought they were. Since he was a free agent, we decided to check the market.”
The discussion also touched on the breakdown in communication that followed Benn’s exit from Matchroom. Connolly defended the choice to send the offer by email relatively than handling every part privately over the phone.
“We covered ourselves legally by sending the offer by email, which we’re imagined to do,” said Connolly. “That could be a mechanism that you simply are imagined to do while you get a suggestion when a promoter has matching rights.”
Connolly added that Benn still wanted Hearn involved after the brand new deal was secured.
“We still want you on the team,” Connolly said. “Conor wanted Eddie to be on the team.”
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Last Updated on 2026/05/17 at 11:00 PM