On April 11th, Conor Benn faces former two-time super lightweight champion Regis Prograis in the Fury vs Makhmudov co-main event. This will be Benn’s first fight under his $15 million deal with Zuffa, with expectations to prove his worth. But the ticket sales are currently pointing towards a setback for Dana White.

According to The Telegraph, more than 12,000 tickets remain for sale for the Fury vs Arslanbek boxing event. That’s definitely quite a gap to fill for the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, which can comfortably hold over 60,000 audience members. Therefore, promoters have reportedly cut ticket prices in half to encourage attendance at the event.

The report also notes that ringside seats remain the most expensive at £3,000 (around $4,000). However, resale websites have reduced the average ticket price for the cheapest seats from £55 ($72) to £19 (around $22). Additionally, Ticketmaster reportedly sold tickets for higher blocks in batches at £4.95 (around $5). 

These numbers raise concerns about Tyson Fury’s return against a powerful Russian boxer in front of his home crowd. Dana White and Co. will be concerned about the dip in ticket sales, with $15 million star Connor Benn also fighting. The reason? Fans might just not be interested in seeing Benn facing a 37-year-old Prograis. Would it be different if ‘The Destroyer’ faced someone like Gervonta Davis? Probably yes. 

If the event underperforms, it could question Benn’s star power, potentially impacting their next event with him and risking a loss of gate money. That said, it’s not the first time the British fighter has faced struggling sales. Ahead of his rematch against Chris Eubank Jr., interest in Benn’s dropped significantly, with outlets like StubHub reportedly slashing ticket prices by 40% below face value. 

Now, with clouds of disappointment looming over ‘The Destroyer’s’ next fight ticket-selling numbers, a UFC fighter has actually questioned his star power from the beginning. 

Sean O’Malley didn’t know about Conor Benn before the 15M deal  

Many fighters like Michael ‘Venom’ Page weren’t happy with Dana White for not paying UFC fighters a similar amount. However, there were people like Sean O’Malley who didn’t even know ‘The Destroyer’ before the $15M agreement.

“I can’t imagine it being true,” the UFC future star said on YouTube. “I don’t even know who Conor Benn is. I’ve never heard of him… It’s crazy how you put in so much work in the UFC, build this name, create this character, be this star. I’m not making f—ing $15 million a fight. But it’s also business. If they think it’s good business for them, if they think that guy is gonna bring in money, I get it.”

When it comes to name value, Benn is definitely not a popular fighter like Terence Crawford or Canelo Alvarez. But he is definitely popular in the English boxing scene, as he is the son of former WBC champ Nigel Benn. 

Benn is known for his amazing scraps against Eubank Jr., but is he actually worth $15 million? Well, the Zuffa brass saw something in him. However, former UFC flyweight champ Demetrious Johnson believes Dana White showcased to the boxing world that the UFC can pay fighters big money in a thriving market.

That said, what do you think? Will Conor Benn’s next fight ultimately be a success, or would it underwhelm people? Let us know in the comments section below.