Conor Benn is yet to debut for Zuffa Boxing but the TKO Group property’s acquisition of the former Matchroom boxer has already set tongues wagging amongst the UFC’s roster.
In a statement sent to Boxing Social, Zuffa confirmed the signing, with UFC boss Dana White calling Benn “an absolute beast and a superstar.” Matchroom boss Eddie Hearn felt aggrieved at the loss, and blamed himself for his own “mistake”. White twisted the knife into Hearn by telling his rival promoter to “stop crying” and asked if there was a “bigger p****” in boxing than the Brit.
It was since revealed that Benn was added to the co-main event for Tyson Fury’s comeback against Arslanbek Makhmudov, with the British slugger fighting Regis Prograis on April 11. Benn vs Prograis sees the welterweight compete at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for the third time in a row.
It comes amid reports that Benn cost Zuffa, largely offset by Turki Alalshikh, $15 million for a one-fight deal though there is skepticism in the industry whether it is really for a standalone contest, especially as TKO executive Mark Shapiro confirmed plans the company had for Benn as they hope to bring the fighter into their “Zuffa league.”
The exorbitant sum Benn is set to receive now, and in the near future has rattled UFC stars, who begin life in the Las Vegas-based MMA promotion on 12/12 contracts — meaning $12,000 to fight, and an extra $12,000 to win.
Since UFC left ESPN to begin its seven-year deal with Paramount+ worth an estimated $7.7 billion, the UFC revised its fighter pay with bonuses rising to $100,000 and every finish yielding an extra $25,000 for the victors.
This remains, though, a drop in the ocean and it’s not gone unnoticed with prominent, championship-level UFC stars.
“The main thing I would say, know your worth, know what it is,” said Holloway on his YouTube channel. “It’s going to suck. At the end of the day, hold your ground. You should know what your worth is.
“There’s this thing that I like to tell myself in any type of business, not only fighting anything, even in regular job people: if you’re going to present something and I tell you, ‘Oh, I want this much.’ And your answer to me is like, ‘Oh, perfect. Can do.’ You low bought the s*** out of yourself. The answer that you want is to be like, ‘F you. Why are you asking for this much’?”
The former middleweight champion Israel Adesanya said similar on his YouTube channel.
“I don’t feel jaded by it, but f*** it, I want $15 million for one fight too.”
Popular British striker Michael ‘Venom’ Page was also aghast at the difference in pay from what UFC fighters receive, to what Benn is receiving from Zuffa, even if via a third party.
“It’s just hurtful to see the money go that way for somebody that, for me, is not at the top of his field,” Page told Sky Sports. “He’s a great boxer. I’m a fan of his. I love watching his his fights because he’s always exciting. He always gives it all. But in that division, he’s nowhere near the best.”
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