Conor Benn’s first Zuffa Boxing fight official as Brit is paired with surprise foe
Conor Benn will fight Regis Prograis on the undercard of Tyson Fury vs Arslanbek Makhmudov, it has been confirmed.
The bout will be Benn’s first under the Zuffa Boxing banner, after he made a shock switch from Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom last week. It was confirmed on Wednesday that Benn’s contract is a one-fight deal, which is reported to be worth $15m.
Although Zuffa’s main broadcast partner is Paramount+, Benn’s upcoming contest will stream live on Netflix, which is especially surprising in light of his one-fight contract.
Benn’s split from Hearn has dominated headlines in the boxing world since it was announced on Friday, with numerous layers making it a captivating development.
Firstly, Matchroom had worked with Benn for the entirety of the Briton’s 10-year professional career, even during a three-year saga in which he could not box on home soil after failing two drug tests. Hearn even said he lent the 29-year-old “hundreds of thousands of pounds” during the episode. Secondly, Zuffa Boxing is headed up by UFC president Dana White, a rival of Hearn. White even launched a scathing tirade at Hearn just a few days before Benn joined Zuffa Boxing.
And Benn’s first fight with Zuffa will take place on 11 April, as he boxes in the co-main event before Fury’s return against Makhmudov.
The event will take place at London’s Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, where Benn fought bitter rival Chris Eubank Jr twice in 2025. Benn lost the first fight on points in April, marking his first pro defeat, but he won the rematch in November.
Those bouts took place at middleweight, but Benn is a natural welterweight, and it’s in that division that he will box Prograis.
Prograis, 37, is a former two-time world champion, having previously held the WBA and WBC super-lightweight titles. The American (30-3, 24 knockouts) will therefore move up in weight to face Benn (24-1, 14 KOs).
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Benn had called out numerous American fighters in recent months, particularly Shakur Stevenson and Ryan Garcia. Now he finds himself paired with a US boxer, though not one of the expected names.
“11 April can’t come soon enough,” Benn said in a press release. “Returning to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium again, where I made history against Eubank Jr, means everything to me. My last fight there showed the world exactly who I am and what I’m about. Fighting on the biggest stages, in the biggest shows, I fear no one! I’m fully locked in and ready to deliver another statement performance.”
Prograis added: “Last time I fought in London, Conor Benn was on my undercard, so this is a full-circle moment for me. But this circle will close with me teaching him a lesson on 11 April. He’s not fighting some weight-drained super-middleweight. I am in shape and will bring home this victory.”
Benn’s move to Zuffa Boxing is curious in that he has long expressed a desire to fight for the WBC welterweight title, which Garcia took from Mario Barrios on Saturday, yet Zuffa has said it plans to move away from the traditional belt system.
Zuffa is even introducing its own titles, with Jai Opetaia fighting Brandon Glanton for the inaugural Zuffa cruiserweight belt on 8 March; it is unclear whether Opetaia’s IBF strap will be on the line.
In any case, even since signing with Zuffa, Benn has called for a clash with Garcia, while Stevenson holds the WBO welterweight belt.
The main event on 11 April will see former heavyweight champion Fury end his fifth retirement, as he takes on Russia’s Makhmudov. Although Fury still seems to be contracted to Frank Warren’s Queensberry Promotions, which usually airs its fights on DAZN, the upcoming event will stream live on Netflix.
The event is being organised by Zuffa Boxing’s co-owners Sela and TKO, and Queensberry’s exact involvement is unclear. This week, The Telegraph reported that Warren is claiming $1bn in lost income from TKO and Sela.