Eddie Hearn Says Matchroom ‘Golden’ As He Questions $15M Benn Deal And Addresses Turki

Eddie Hearn has been around long enough to know when a story gets away from the facts. Hearn says Conor Benn’s reported $15 million deal does not change Matchroom’s position with DAZN. He also questioned whether that level of spending can last.

Hearn told Boxing King Media that Matchroom was asked to match the offer.

“Obviously, you know, the extension negotiations went on for a very long time, months ago. And when we found out about this, which was… 11th, 12th of Feb, whenever that was. The first thing that we did was speak to DAZN because we received a letter saying match this 15 million you know. They were fully aware of the situation. We actually signed the deal after that. It had no bearing on our deal at all.”

He pushed back on the idea that Benn’s move rattled the company’s DAZN agreement. In his telling, the broadcast model was already locked in. Benn leaving did not shift it.

His frustration came down to how it was handled.

“It’s blown up that big to a level where even I feel like someone’s passed away. People are coming up to me going, ‘Are you okay?’ It’s like, of course I’m disappointed, but we’ll also get over it.”

“I just felt like we deserved a conversation, a man-to-man conversation. And that was it really.”

He added: “I think when he looks inside himself, Benn will know he did wrong. But good luck, that’s just life”

The money itself raised a larger point. Hearn questioned whether paying eight figures for a 10-round fight with Regis Prograis makes business sense over time.

“You can’t just start overpaying fighters and going crazy and changing the foundation of your business when you’re in a fight like this. You have to roll your sleeves up and dig in.”

“If people really want to come in and spend that much money on a 10-round fight with Regis Prograis, then that’s okay. But long-term, is that model going to be sustainable?”

“I like Regis. You saw in the Jojo Diaz fight he’s not the fighter that he once was. He’s still a decent fighter, but Conor should be much too fresh.”

That is the dividing line. One market can push purses past the usual pay scale. The rest of the sport still runs on broadcast contracts, gates, and fighters staying active.

Saudi backing shifts purses, but promotional depth decides who lasts

On Turki Alalshikh, Hearn kept calm. He referenced the Riyadh Season show in December and a Ring Magazine card in January, with another agreed. His position was clear. If the Saudi money dries up, Matchroom keeps staging fights.

“I’m pretty chilled about Turki really. We got 30 shows a year for 5 years, you know, we’re golden. We’re in a great position.”

That is a promoter talking about active schedules and fighters staying busy. Regular dates. Active fighters. A roster that boxes often enough to stay sharp.

He also noted how quickly the story around Frank Warren can swing.

“Half the stuff I wouldn’t believe, the other half you don’t know what to believe. The Frank Warren story was just wild. I don’t know anything about it really.”

On the Ring Magazine social media noise, he said, “What Turki does is he’s very reactive, the longer you let things simmer, probably the better the response and reaction will be.”

Hearn widened the lens when he compared boxing purses to the UFC.

“There’s more revenue in the pot for a UFC fight than there is for a Conor Benn fight. So if you’re Sean O’Malley, if you’re Michael Bisping, if you’re Tom Aspinall, how can you be getting 10 times less when there’s more revenue in the pot? It doesn’t really make sense.”

Benn’s exit did not rip up Matchroom’s deal with DAZN. It did highlight how far Saudi money can drive purses beyond the standard rate. Hearn’s position is that regular dates, a broadcast home, and fighters who stay active form a sturdier base than one oversized payday.

Whether that holds if the biggest nights keep landing elsewhere will be answered in the ring and on the balance sheet.

Conor Benn returns to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on April 11 to face former two-time super lightweight champion Regis Prograis in a 150-pound catchweight bout on the Tyson Fury vs. Arslanbek Makhmudov undercard, streamed on Netflix. Benn drops down from 160 pounds following his split series with Chris Eubank Jr., while Prograis enters after losses to Devin Haney and Jack Catterall but a recent win over Joseph Diaz Jr. The fight is a reported one-off deal with Zuffa Boxing worth $15 million to Benn.