Conor Benn insists the difference in offers between Zuffa Boxing and Matchroom was “drastic” and left him without hesitation when considering his future.
Benn created waves last month when he announced his stunning Matchroom exit to join forces with the promotional outfit’s biggest rivals, Zuffa Boxing, with Eddie Hearn and Dana White entering a public feud.
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“Yes, it’s drastic,” Benn said when asked on The Overlap by Gary Neville if the difference in the offers was substantial. “It’s money where you go, if you’re a couple million out, yeah, alright, we’ll sort something out. But it’s not that.”
Benn then highlighted how “ego” had played a part in the acrimonious fallout with Eddie Hearn and Matchroom, before underlining his desire to meet the promoter in the future to settle any differences.
“It’s more of an ego thing, of course, they understand, I know Eddie,” Benn added. “I didn’t tell Eddie, we spoke, I sent him a nice long message, let’s catch up when the dust has settled, once this has all been sorted out.
“I didn’t know the outcome then, whether it would be Matchroom or not, we’ll speak when this is done, I want to speak to him. Outside of business, we’re friends, this is so public, it can hurt people’s egos. That’s it. It [the money] is not even close.
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“Until you’re in that position, you won’t know, any fight can be the last fight, I promised myself, I’d never feel the way I felt again. It all fell on me, nobody paid my legal bills, he didn’t lend me a cent, I paid the legal bills myself.
“Nobody called up to see if I had food on the table, I had to do that myself. Nobody will defend you when you’re done and gone. That three years taught me what I know now.”
Benn also added that he could yet fight again with Matchroom, given his commitment to Zuffa is just one fight.
“[It is a] one fight deal, after that I’m a free agent,” Benn emphasised. “I could do my own, I could go to Matchroom, stay with Zuffa, it’s a short-sighted approach. The big noise was worth the one-fight deal.
“Will they [come back to me]? I know Dazn probably will, but will I? I had nothing bad to say.”
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