THE ZUFFA ERA: DANA WHITE'S $15M CONOR BENN DEAL SHAKES THE BOXING WORLD'S FOUNDATION
Big money move: Discover why Conor Benn left Matchroom for a $15M Zuffa deal to fight Regis Prograis at Tottenham Stadium.
Conor Benn is set to face Regis Prograis as the main undercard for Tyson Fury’s fight against Arslanbek Makhmudov.
Ben just left Matchroom Boxing and Eddie Hearn behind, signing instead with Dana White’s Zuffa Boxing. The deal? A jaw-dropping $15 million for just one fight. Everyone figured this meant Benn would finally make his American debut, but, surprise, his first fight with Zuffa will actually be in the UK.
So, “The Destroyer” is stepping into the ring with former WBA super-lightweight champ Regis Prograis, all as part of the Fury vs. Makhmudov card at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on April 11. This fight’s basically the co-main event, right before Fury’s big heavyweight return.
Benn can’t wait. “April 11th can’t come soon enough,” he said. “Going back to Tottenham, where I made history against Eubank Jr, means everything to me. My last fight there showed the world exactly who I am. Biggest stages, biggest shows. I fear no one. I’m locked in. Ready to make another statement.”
White’s Zuffa Boxing is running the show, teaming up with Ring Magazine to promote the event.
Prograis is just as fired up. “Last time I fought in London, Conor Benn was on my undercard. Now here we are, full circle. But this time, I’m teaching him a lesson. He’s not facing some weight-drained super middleweight. I’m in shape, and I’m winning this one.”
Why are Benn and Prograis fighting at all? It’s caught plenty of people off guard, since Benn seemed to be aiming for a WBC 147 lbs title shot. He was supposed to be pushing for a fight with Ryan Garcia, who just became champion, or maybe even a huge showdown with Shakur Stevenson, one of boxing’s best right now.
Instead, Prograis got the nod. He’s moving up to 147 lbs. Last time he fought in the UK, he lost to Jack Catterall in 2024, but bounced back with a win over Jojo Diaz. Benn heads into this fight with a ton of momentum after knocking out Chris Eubank Jr in their grudge match last November. Plus, this new TKO/Saudi deal is paying him big.
As for Benn’s split from Eddie Hearn? It’s all about money. Hearn, who stood by Benn through the mess of his failed drug test, found out Benn was leaving via text. He saw it as a slap in the face, but Benn says the offer was just too good to turn down. He’s not ruling out working with Matchroom again someday, but for now, Dana White’s calling the shots as Benn steps back into the spotlight under Fury’s comeback.
TYSON FURY BLASTS ANTHONY JOSHUA AFTER DANIEL DUBOIS STOPS FABIO WARDLEY IN MANCHESTER
Tyson Fury has labelled Anthony Joshua "chinny" after Daniel Dubois secured the WBO heavyweight title against a resilient Fabio Wardley.
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Tyson Fury wasted no time after Daniel Dubois stopped Fabio Wardley this past weekend, using the moment to take a shot at Anthony Joshua.
Dubois picked up his second heavyweight title Saturday night in Manchester, grabbing the WBO belt from Wardley in a wild, bloodied battle that’s already being called a fight of the year candidate.
It wasn’t all smooth sailing for Dubois, though. He hit the canvas twice in the first three rounds but bounced back hard, battering Wardley late and leaving his face a mess as the final bell sounded.
Wardley never actually went down during the fight, despite looking wobbly near the end. Credit to him for sheer toughness, but Dubois still beat him decisively. This was Dubois’ first victory since his massive upset over Anthony Joshua earlier in 2024, when he floored AJ four times in one night.
On Sunday, Fury chimed in about Dubois’ latest win. With his own fight against Joshua rumoured for later this year on Netflix, Fury saw an opening to stir the pot.
“Just been thinking about Dubois’ crazy fight last night,” Fury said. Dubois fought [Jarrell] Miller, stopped him, but never put him down. He fought. [Filip] Hrgovic stopped him but never put him down. Fought Wardley last night and stopped him, but didn’t put him down. He hit Usyk with bombs but didn’t drop him. But against Anthony Joshua? Drops him five times.”
Fury added, “I’m not saying Joshua’s got no chin, but facts are facts. Take it however you want. Nobody else went down, not Miller, not Hrgovic, not Usyk, not Wardley. But Joshua hits the deck five times? Chinny, get up, slink!”
Fury is coming off a comeback win over Arslanbek Makhmudov and has already signed on to fight Joshua this year. Joshua will warm up first against Albanian heavyweight Kristian Pregna in Saudi Arabia on July 25 before facing Fury.
Promoter Frank Warren says Fury vs. AJ will probably land in October, though Fury might want another tune-up, which could push things back a bit.
As for Dubois, he’s got options. There’s talk of a rematch with Wardley, a chance to settle the score with Usyk in a trilogy, or a domestic showdown with Moses Itauma. Dubois’ dad, Stan, told talkSPORT he’d rather see his son fight another British heavyweight next, not Usyk.
HOW DANIEL DUBOIS SURVIVED TWO KNOCKDOWNS TO STOP A BLOODY FABIO WARDLEY
"I had to dig deep." Read Daniel Dubois' full reaction to his stunning comeback victory against Fabio Wardley in Manchester.
The punch that changed everything wasn't thrown by either of the fighters.
Fabio Wardley came out blazing in his title defence, dropping Daniel Dubois just 10 seconds in. He did it again in the third round, making it look like his big night. But then, something strange happened. As Dubois got up after the fourth round, his trainer, Don Charles, slapped him hard on both cheeks.
That’s when Dubois woke up. “I had to make him realise what he needed to do,” Charles said afterwards. It’s not exactly the kind of thing you see at team-building seminars, but it worked. Dubois turned on, and suddenly Wardley’s reign started to unravel.
Wardley had picked Dubois for the first fight since collecting the WBO belt that Oleksandr Usyk dropped. Honestly, it looked like a smart pick: he dropped Dubois twice and set the tone. But after that slap, Dubois started seeing Wardley’s moves coming; those wild lunges became easier to dodge.
He landed his stiff jab and followed up with savage right hands. Wardley’s jaw somehow took the hits, but his nose was pouring blood, and his right eye was almost swollen shut. He kept pushing forward, showing crazy heart, while Dubois just kept piling on. The fight turned into a brutal spectacle, the kind you can’t look away from.
Wardley got checked twice by doctors but kept fighting. Honestly, it could've stopped before the second-to-last round, when referee Howard Foster finally stepped in. Dubois got his second world title; Wardley, battered and worn, just managed a thumbs up to his mum.
Dubois summed it up later: “I had to dig really deep. When you’re a warrior, you go to dark places. I was nervous at first, all over the place, and had to fight my own battles. That slap woke me up. My dad and everyone were in my corner; I couldn’t let them down.
“Fabio came to fight; he was tough. We were exhausted; it was a real war. I had to use all my skills to win. Great fight, great battle, and I’m No. 1 again.” Sure, Usyk might argue about that, but Dubois proved something; he got up off the canvas and won.
People have called Dubois a quitter since the Joe Joyce fight six years ago. Wardley himself thought Dubois would fold again in Manchester, and for three rounds it looked like he was right until reality snapped Dubois awake.
