Why Did Zuffa Boxing Sign Conor Benn?

​​TKO President Mark Shapiro has stepped in to clarify the Zuffa Boxing’s decision to sign Conor Benn.

The signing came as a shock, as Benn left his long-time promoter Eddie Hearn to make the switch. Hearn stood by Benn during his failed PED tests, while the Matchroom Boxing promoter was firing verbals shots at White before the signing of Benn. Reports indicate that Benn will earn $15 million in a single-fight contract with Zuffa Boxing.

Following criticism from MMA stars like Sean O’Malley and Demetrious Johnson, Shapiro has addressed the criticism due to the vast disparity in what boxers and UFC fighters are getting paid. Shapiro revealed that the financial burden is carried by their Saudi partner, Sela. Under this agreement, Sela provides the capital for fighter payouts, while TKO—led by Dana White and Nick Khan—provides the operational expertise.

• Zero Funding Risk: Shapiro highlighted that TKO has no obligation to fund fighter purses.
• Guaranteed Revenue: TKO earns a $10 million annual management fee just to oversee the day-to-day operations of Zuffa Boxing.
• Super Fight Bonuses: For every major “super fight” produced, TKO collects an additional $10 million service fee.
• The Strategic Signing: The goal is to position Benn in a “super fight.”

Shapiro Reacts

“Now let me be clear: We signed him for just one fight. That’s all we’re talking about here. Of course, we hope eventually he’ll fight in our Zuffa Boxing series, exclusively on Paramount+, but for now, this is just one fight. No different than what we did with Canelo and Crawford. No different than other superfights we are currently planning with SELA.

“I would add that the reported purse, which I believe was around $15 million, but the reported purse — I’m not confirming or denying — that Conor will be paid for the superfight in 2026, is not TKO going out of pocket. SELA, led by our great partner Turki Alalshikh, is covering the purse. Once again, no different than exactly what he did with the Canelo-Crawford fight.

“This story has taken on a life of its own. That’s largely because Eddie Hearn is stirring the pot in a very fictional way. As you know, our partner in Zuffa Boxing is SELA. They’re the financial backer of the entity. Beyond the year-long series of fight cards that will appear exclusively on Paramount+, we’ve described again and again on these calls and at conferences that we plan to stage approximately two to four superfights per year.

“Canelo [Alvarez]-[Terence] Crawford being an example, some of which TKO will promote and or sell the media rights for of course, incremental fees. We at TKO with SELA collectively identified Conor Benn as someone we wanted to sign for one of those superfights in 2026. That’s it. One fight in 2026. Conor was a free agent, Dana White and Nick Khan, in that order, went out and signed Conor,” Shapiro said