Eddie Hearn Says Conor Benn Turned Down Crocker, Kelly Fights

Promoter points to financial gap after Benn’s move to Zuffa Boxing

Eddie Hearn says Conor Benn turned down fights against Lewis Crocker and Josh Kelly before leaving Matchroom. He pointed to financial differences after Benn’s move to Zuffa Boxing.

Hearn said he had offered Benn fights against IBF welterweight champion Lewis Crocker and IBF junior middleweight champion Josh Kelly, but the bigger issue was never just willingness.

“He knows his level. I wanted him to fight Lewis Crocker. We went for lunch, and I said, ‘Mate, you could fight Lewis Crocker, that is a great fight. That is a very tough fight, but if you win that fight, you are a world champion,’” Hearn said to Boxing Now

Hearn claimed Benn turned both options down, but he also suggested the financial side made those fights less appealing once other offers came in.

“[He said], ‘I don’t want to fight Lewis Crocker, I don’t like Billy Nelson,’ I said ‘What the fk has that got to do with it? Just fight him’. Then, we talked about Josh Kelly, [he said], ‘Nah, fk Josh Kelly’.”

Benn recently beat Regis Prograis by decision in his first fight linked with Zuffa Boxing. The matchup drew criticism due to Prograis moving up in weight and coming in off a loss.

Hearn did not argue against Benn’s decision to avoid those title fights once the numbers changed.

“I actually think that he is right [to do that] because he is only going to make a few million to fight those guys and Zuffa just sp**ked their load giving him 15 [million] to fight a bloke who couldn’t even stand up!”

Hearn’s point about the “few million” for title fights versus the Zuffa payday is grounded in the current market reality.

Fights against IBF welterweight champion Lewis Crocker or Josh Kelly are legacy fights. They are high-risk, grueling, and likely pay in the $2M–$4M range.

Benn’s move to Zuffa Boxing, backed by Sela and TKO, reportedly netted him an eight-figure sum. That is roughly four to five times the career-high purse he could expect for a standard title defense or domestic clash.

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