Eddie Hearn has predicted that Conor Benn will soon retire from boxing, after his former ally’s emphatic loss to Ryan Garcia.
Last week, Garcia stopped Benn in the second round, retaining the WBC welterweight title in their Las Vegas main event.
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Garcia, 28, dropped Benn with a hard right hook, and although the Briton beat the referee’s count, he was overwhelmed by the American, forcing the referee to stop the fight.
Conor Benn (left) during his stoppage loss to Ryan Garcia (Getty)
Benn, 29, later said he was unsure what his next move will be, and that his priority is spending time with his family. He had previously suggested, however, that he will move back up to middleweight next.
In any case, Hearn has now discussed the fight, which was Benn’s second after leaving Hearn’s Matchroom promotion in a shocking move in February.
“My last few predictions were that I thought Ryan Garcia would win inside three rounds,” Hearn told iFL TV.
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“I just felt [Benn] looked lost. I don’t know, didn’t really look like himself… and in the ring he looked all over the place, he looked like a rabbit in headlights.
“Listen, Conor Benn will be done in the next year or so. He may have one more fight. Who knows? He may not even fight again. He’s made his money.”
Doubling down on the sentiment, Hearn said: “Yeah, I do [think he’ll retire soon]. I think he wants his money, and he’s made a load of money. What else is there?
Benn was floored hard in the second round in Las Vegas (Getty)
“He’s not gonna beat anyone of any significance at 160lb [middleweight], so what are you in the game for? He’s in the game to make money, and he’s done that.
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“I don’t think he’s gonna wanna hang around in the sport of boxing; he’s got other interests, he’s got family.”
Benn and Hearn’s split was a stunning one, with Matchroom having stood by the “Destroyer” during a drug-test saga that lasted from 2022 until 2024, only for the fighter to join Hearn’s rival Dana White at Zuffa Boxing.
Benn had failed two drug tests in summer 2022 and was provisionally suspended from fighting in the UK, until he was cleared to do so again in late 2024. He maintained his innocence throughout the episode.
Benn dropped Chris Eubank Jr twice in the final moments of their rematch, before winning on points (Getty)
Benn was reportedly offered $15m to sign with Zuffa on a one-fight deal, and his promotional debut came against Regis Prograis in April. On the undercard of Tyson Fury’s win over Arslanbek Makhmudov, Benn outpointed the former world champion, who was boxing at a career-highest weight and retired after the bout. Benn then extended his Zuffa deal and faced Garcia.
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His likeliest next move is a trilogy bout with Chris Eubank Jr, with whom he traded middleweight wins in 2025. Eubank Jr outpointed Benn in April, before his bitter rival returned the favour in November – scoring two knockdowns along the way.
Eubank Jr, 36, was quick to mock Benn after his loss to Garcia, while middleweight champion Denzel Bentley this week offered Benn a shot at his WBO belt.
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