Conor Benn's Zuffa Boxing debut to take place in U.K. before end of May
Feb 20, 2026 • 8:45 PM ET
Mark Robinson / Matchroom BoxingLAS VEGAS – Conor Benn’s move to Zuffa Boxing will not take him out of his home country.
Officials connected to the situation but unauthorized to speak publicly on the matter told BoxingScene Friday that England’s Benn, 24-1 (14 KOs), will participate in a major Zuffa Boxing card on a spring date in the U.K. by May 31.
Benn, 29, stunned the fight world Friday by leaving Eddie Hearn and Matchroom Boxing on the heels of two lucrative bouts against countryman Chris Eubank Jnr, the second of which was won by Hall of Famer Nigel Benn’s son by unanimous decision in November.
Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix placed the value of Benn’s one-fight Zuffa Boxing deal in excess of $10 million.
Benn is currently ranked No. 1 by the WBC, whose champion Mario Barrios defends his belt Saturday night against Ryan Garcia at T-Mobile Arena here.
Additionally, Benn has been in talks with WBA welterweight champion Rolly Romero, who hasn’t fought since his May 2025 unanimous-decision victory over Garcia.
Benn is ranked No. 4 by the WBA, and an official close to Romero has said they believe it’s possible that he will bypass unbeaten mandatory contender Shakhram Giyasov for a fight of great import, like Benn.
Lance Pugmire has been a full-time boxing writer for nearly 20 years, serving now as BoxingScene’s U.S. Senior Writer and assistant producer for ProBoxTV’s “BoxingScene Today.” Pugmire capped a near 20-year career at the Los Angeles Times (sports investigations, NHL/MLB beat work, law enforcement/courts and boxing/UFC) to join The Athletic, and then USA Today. Pugmire’s stint at The Times started with the first Israel Vazquez-Rafael Marquez fight and the Oscar De La Hoya-Floyd Mayweather Jnr then-record pay-per-view, leading through a slew of ringside assignments at major bouts, including Mayweather-Pacquiao, Mayweather-Canelo and the Canelo-Golovkin trilogy. Lance’s appreciation for boxing is rooted in his admiration and appreciation for the fighters, gladiators who have proven to be the most forthcoming and candid of all the athletes he has interviewed over a career dating to 1990. Lance was honored to be named the 2022 winner of the Boxing Writers Association of America Nat Fleischer Award for career excellence and he’s collected many BWAA writing awards in categories ranging from breaking news to deep-dive long features.
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