Eddie Hearn Concerned for Conor Benn at 147lbs in Ryan Garcia fight

Eddie Hearn has questioned whether Conor Benn can be effective at welterweight after the confirmation of his WBC title fight with Ryan Garcia. Garcia and Benn are scheduled to meet over 12 rounds at 147lbs on September 12, 2026, at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, with the fight announced on Wednesday after months of promotional and broadcast complications.

Speaking to K.O. Artist Sports YouTube Channel, Hearn said he does not believe Benn should be boxing at 147lbs at this stage of his career. His concern is not only the cut itself, but what Benn may have left once he reaches the limit against a sharp puncher in Garcia, who enters the fight with a significant statistical edge in knockout percentage and is viewed by oddsmakers as the clear favourite.

Hearn pointed to Benn’s recent schedule as the basis for that concern. Benn has not boxed below the welterweight limit since April 2022, when he stopped Chris van Heerden in two rounds, and has since fought Chris Eubank Jr twice at 160lbs. Hearn also referenced Benn’s fight with Regis Prograis at around 150/151lbs, where he felt Benn looked poor, as evidence that making 147lbs now could take a heavy toll.

The Matchroom chairman still expects Benn to make the fight competitive in patches because of his temperament and attacking style. Hearn anticipates Benn will try to force the issue and “have a right go”, but his wider view is that Garcia’s timing, class and punching power make the assignment dangerous if Benn is depleted.

Hearn-Benn fallout continues

The fight also lands amid a public breakdown between Hearn and Benn following the boxer’s move away from Matchroom to Zuffa. Hearn said Matchroom had matching rights after Benn’s contract expired, but claimed Benn’s side created a “one-fight deal” that was intentionally impossible to match.

According to Hearn, a $15 million one-fight proposal was presented with no further options attached, and he said legal action will follow. He also argued that the situation will eventually be exposed, using the phrase “what’s done in the dark will always come to light”, and pointed to another contract being announced immediately after the alleged deal as part of his grievance.

The split has become personal as well as contractual. Hearn said he was surprised that Benn sent him a message saying “you’ll always be my guy” at the same time as his Zuffa signing was announced, and claimed he would have accepted Benn leaving had he been told directly that a life-changing offer had arrived which Matchroom could not match. Hearn also dismissed the “doing what’s right for my family” explanation as a bluff.

Hearn further claimed that Benn, through his lawyer, offered him $250,000 to remain silent and avoid making negative statements about them. Keith Connelly, Benn’s manager, has said Hearn rejected an offer to become a “special advisor” to Benn, an offer Hearn rejected in explicit terms.

The depth of Hearn’s frustration is tied to their history together. He said he went to “the absolute hill” for Benn after the 2022 failed drugs test, fighting for him during a period he described as weighing heavily on him, which has sharpened the sense of betrayal around Benn’s exit.

Zuffa ‘Humbled’ over Garcia-Benn

Hearn also framed the final Garcia-Benn arrangement as a lesson for Zuffa in how boxing deals can change once rival rights-holders, promoters and broadcasters become involved. He said Zuffa had expected the fight to be solely a Zuffa-promoted event on Paramount and Sky Sports, but the confirmed structure now has it as a Ring card, co-promoted by Oscar De La Hoya and Zuffa, with DAZN and Paramount involved.

Hearn praised DAZN’s role in securing UK broadcast rights over Sky Sports, describing the move as a “masterpiece” and a “masterclass”, particularly because he believes Garcia-Benn carries greater weight in Britain than in the United States. He also said De La Hoya’s involvement with DAZN is good for the promotion, even if he believes it will frustrate Zuffa because the event is no longer entirely their show.

There is added intrigue around De La Hoya’s role because of his past public disputes with Dana White, and Hearn said he is looking forward to De La Hoya’s appearance at the press conference. He also credited De La Hoya’s persistence, saying he “fights to the end” and has performed strongly in ensuring Golden Boy & DAZN remained part of the promotion.

Hearn also noted the irony of Zuffa’s head, Nick Khan, now being involved in promoting a WBC-sanctioned event after previously strongly criticising the WBC and Mauricio Sulaiman during the Muhammad Ali Act hearing in the US Congress.

For Benn, the immediate challenge is a demanding one: returning to welterweight for the first time in four years, making 147lbs safely and proving he can still bring the same aggression at the lower weight. Garcia, meanwhile, will make the first defence of his WBC title and has the opportunity to establish himself not only as the division’s biggest star, but also its most feared fighter.