Last week, Zuffa Boxing announced the signing of Conor Benn to a one fight contract worth a reported $15 million. Benn left Eddie Hearn and Matchroom Boxing to join White’s upstart promotion.
In an interview, Hearn looked upset by the news of the Benn news. Hearn commented that UFC fighters would feel “sick as a dog” and “ripped off” by the news about Benn’s pay.
The assumption is that Zuffa has the purse strings to pay fighters more, but does not.
Benn is expected to fight this spring. The 29 year old is 24-1 with 14 wins by KO. His last fight was a unanimous decision win against Chris Eubank, Jr. The win in November avenged his only loss earlier that year.
Payout Perspective:
Zuffa Boxing is certainly a disrupter in the boxing business and it may reverberate into the UFC. The signing of Benn to a one fight deal seems like a “show me” contract or they are signing him for a major event and then that will be it. But, the $15M reported salary shows that Zuffa Boxing is willing to use its bankroll to get what it wants. It also tells UFC fighters that while the UFC has a budget for salary, they are willing to spend when they want to and for those earning meager pay, the $15M for one fight shows them their worth to the company. Then again, there’s real no alternative for UFC fighters.
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