Conor Benn is stepping into the ring against Regis Prograis, but the real fight is happening outside the ropes over loyalty, money, and a fractured relationship with longtime promoter Eddie Hearn. While Tyson Fury’s comeback fight—after a yearlong retirement—on the April 11 Netflix boxing event commands the most attention, Benn’s spot on the co-main event carries equal intrigue.

That fight comes at a time of major change in Benn’s career. For the first time in his decade-long career, Conor Benn will be fighting outside the Matchroom stable. A top welterweight contender, Benn has been in the headlines for the last few weeks after leaving longtime promoter Eddie Hearn to join Dana White’s Zuffa Boxing for a $15 million one-fight deal. Many have criticized Benn for being disloyal to a promoter who backed him through the hurdles he has faced. The fighter, meanwhile, remains firm—he’s under no obligation to anyone.

“No, I don’t. I don’t feel like I owe anybody anything,” Benn told broadcaster Adam Catterall. “I owe my family. I owe my son a good life. I owe my son a blessed life. I owe opening doors for my son that no one else can open.

“It’s my responsibility. That is my responsibility. He is my legacy. Not just my son, my daughter, and potentially more kids on the way. You know, that is my legacy. Everything else is just noise.”

To explain that stance, Benn pointed to his father Nigel Benn’s career. He was once relevant and successful, but now no one really pays attention to him. Fame doesn’t last, and when it’s gone, people don’t offer financial support. You have to take care of your own responsibilities, because no one else will, Benn explained.

That viewpoint has come under increased scrutiny since his move to Zuffa Boxing. Earlier in January, a similar situation drew attention when Matchroom’s then-cruiserweight champion Jai Opetaia left the stable for Dana White‘s fledgling boxing promotion.

Still, it is Benn who has drawn the bulk of the criticism.

Spotlight falls on strained ties between Eddie Hearn and Conor Benn

Much of that reaction is tied to how his relationship with Matchroom Boxing developed over the years. Eddie Hearn had been managing Benn’s career since he joined the paid ranks. As he rose through the division and became the WBA Continental (Europe) welterweight champion, Benn hit a turning point when the doping controversy surfaced.

While he pleaded innocence, it was Hearn who backed him, defending him across platforms. There are reports suggesting the promoter even helped Benn financially. During the period when he was banned from fighting in the United Kingdom, Benn was still featured by Hearn on cards in the United States, keeping him active.

Given that sequence of events, Benn’s decision left Hearn visibly hurt and upset.

While Benn maintains that he doesn’t owe anything to Hearn and Matchroom Boxing, he has expressed a desire to maintain their relationship. However, that sentiment is not shared by Hearn, who feels that, by leaving Matchroom, Benn has severed those ties.

“He wouldn’t even phone me after representing him for nine years and getting him out of sh-t and lending him about a million quid,” he said in an interview. “He wouldn’t even phone me. You think he’s going to turn up here and go, ‘Hello, Eddie,’ and look me in the eye? No chance.”

The upcoming fight against Prograis will reveal whether the tension with his former promoter has become a distraction or a powerful new motivation.