Dana White has stirred up the boxing scene by signing Conor Benn to Zuffa Boxing. The move on Friday marked a big shift for Benn, who had been with Eddie Hearn's Matchroom Boxing since 2016. This switch certainly adds fuel to the ongoing rivalry between Dana White and Eddie Hearn.
Zuffa Boxing, which White launched in 2025 with a little help from Saudi power player Turki Alalshikh, aims to shake things up in the sport. Known for his work in combat sports, White made a bold move into boxing promotion. He's already hosted major fight promotions featuring stars like Canelo Alvarez and Terence Crawford. So far this year, Zuffa has put on three fight cards and is gearing up for another event featuring Jai Opetaia in March 2025.
White hasn't hesitated to throw jabs at Hearn either, once equating competition among boxing promoters to "beating up babies." He dismissed Hearn as merely working for his father, Barry Hearn.
Eddie Hearn didn't hold back his feelings about losing Benn. Confessing he felt stunned and hurt by what he saw as Benn's lack of loyalty after all their support during a challenging time, he expressed disappointment in how the move went down.
"I felt that everything that we gave him, the loyalty that we gave him, the support we gave him," stated Hearn. "But that's just my opinion," he added while noting that even though some people prioritize loyalty, not everyone does.
Conor Benn's transition from Matchroom to Zuffa highlights an increasing rivalry impacting professional boxing’s landscape. With both Dana White and Eddie Hearn actively vying for top talents like Benn to bolster their stables, the rift between these titans shows no signs of cooling down anytime soon.
