Conor Benn has opened up on his controversial decision to leave Eddie Hearn and Matchroom Sport for Dana White's Zuffa Boxing.
Last month, the newly-formed Zuffa Boxing lured Benn away from Hearn and Matchroom after they tabled a lucrative one-fight deal believed to be worth at least $15 million (£10m).
A short time later, Benn posted a statement thanking Hearn and Matchroom for “everything” they had done for him.
Hearn, meanwhile, admitted he was “pretty devastated” by Benn's decision to part ways, saying he made a “mistake” trusting the boxer, who boasts a professional record of 24-1.
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"I blame myself," said Hearn. "I made a mistake, because I misjudged the character. And again, I’m not gonna hang him out to dry, and he will say: ‘Well, it was a big offer.’"
Now, Benn has sat down with talkSPORT for his first big interview since signing for Zuffa.
Speaking to reporter Adam Catterall, the 29-year-old revealed that Matchroom's decision not to cover his dad Nigel's business-class flights to the United States led him to consider leaving.
“I’ve got love for Matchroom," he began. "I’ve got love for Eddie. Irrelevant of what they’ve been saying, irrelevant of what’s been said, I still want Eddie in my corner. I don’t hold any type of feelings towards him.”
“Ultimately, if you ask me to choose out of my family and what sets my family up, my family’s legacy… my kids are my legacy," Benn continued.
“When they don’t want to cover my dad’s business class flights over, you’re reminded that you have a time span.
“When you’re done, nobody cares. When I’m done, nobody’s going to care. Nobody, and there’ll be a new one of me."
He added: “Make hay while the sun’s shining. Take the best deal for me that feels right for me and my family, and it was the best deal by a country mile. So for me, I’m excited to be boxing under the Zuffa banner and really lead the way.”
Adam Catterall apologises for how he conducted interview with Conor Benn
After the interview with Benn went live on Wednesday, Catterall was criticised by some fans for his line of questioning.
The reporter has now apologised in a statement on X.
"Nobody is more disappointed with that interview than me," he wrote.
"I’ve watched it back and given the standard I’ve set my performance is even worse than I originally thought. This is an L and I deserve your criticism. Apologies if you feel let down. It’s on me."
Topics: Conor Benn, Boxing, Eddie Hearn
Jack Kenmare