Conor Benn may have mulled it over a hundred times. The leap to Dana White’s Zuffa Boxing meant burning bridges with Eddie Hearn, who had promoted him since his professional debut. But in the end, White’s $15 million offer proved too strong for the welterweight contender to turn down. Understandably, his move left Hearn hurt, and he voiced that disappointment publicly.

Now, that friction appears to have hardened, with reconciliation looking unlikely. At the Matchroom event in London, headlined by George Liddard and Tyler Denny, Eddie Hearn made his stance clear when a reporter asked how he would react if Conor Benn showed up at the venue.

“No, I told you he’s welcome. He ain’t going to come in here. Show his face in here,” Hearn told iFL TV’s Joe Pew. “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 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.”

When the reporter pressed him on how he would have reacted had Benn reached out, Hearn said there would not have been any confrontation, though he would have made his feelings clear. In the same breath, however, he admitted he did not expect Benn to make that call.

The bitterness in Hearn’s comments, including his suggestion that Benn could be greeted with boos when he faces Regis Prograis at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium next month, stems directly from Benn’s decision to align with Dana White‘s new boxing venture, Zuffa.

White had already shaken up the promotional landscape earlier in January by signing Matchroom’s Jai Opetaia.

Eddie Hearn and Conor Benn: How a longtime alliance fell apart

Reflecting on Opetaia’s departure, Hearn cited his inability to meet the Australian champion’s expectations as the likely reason behind the move. But even that situation, by his own admission, did not compare to the shock of Benn’s exit.

Hearn had guided Benn’s career since his professional debut in 2016. Their relationship was tested when Benn became entangled in a doping controversy. While Nigel Benn’s son faced intense scrutiny, Hearn stood firmly by his side. Reports indicate Hearn even provided financial support during that stretch. While still banned from fighting in the United Kingdom, Benn competed on Matchroom cards in the United States before returning home.

The partnership delivered one of 2025’s biggest fights when Benn faced Chris Eubank Jr. Their first bout in April earned Fight of the Year honors. After navigating those challenges together, Benn’s decision to leave for a lucrative offer left Hearn, and many others, deeply disappointed.

At the same time, the episode underscores a broader truth about modern boxing: relationships often bend when major money enters the picture. Interestingly, Benn’s upcoming opponent, Regis Prograis, reinforced that reality during a recent interview.

“I know he was real close to Eddie, but we’re loyal to the dollar,” he told BoxingScene. “Most of us—that’s who we’re loyal to. It’s prizefighting, and at the end of the day, we’re all gonna retire. We’re all gonna get old, and we’re all gonna retire. You can’t pay your bills with belts or your resume. The money has to pay your bills—the money is the thing that keeps you going for the rest of your life. That, for Conor, is the most important thing.”

Whether Hearn ultimately accepts that logic remains to be seen. Perhaps months from now, as he reflects on these events, his anger may cool. He may reach a point where a conversation with Benn, at least at a formal level, becomes possible.