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Conor Benn’s $15m Zuffa Boxing deal draws puzzled response from Sean O’Malley
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- Conor Benn’s $15m Zuffa Boxing deal draws puzzled response from Sean O’Malley
Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images
UFC star Sean O'Malley does not believe Conor Benn will make $15 million with Zuffa Boxing, arguing the British boxer is not a big enough draw to justify that kind of money.
Just a few days ago, news broke that Benn had signed with Zuffa Boxing, making him only the second major addition to the promotion.
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The deal was made even more notable by reports that 'The Destroyer' would earn $15 million for just one fight.
Benn's high-profile signing has drawn plenty of attention, but O'Malley remains sceptical about the figures being thrown around.
Sean O'Malley casts doubt over reported $15 million figure in Conor Benn's Zuffa Boxing deal
Photo by Ed Mulholland/Zuffa LLC
Benn, who holds a 24-1 record and was once seen as a rising star, is perhaps more widely recognised for his 2022 failed drug test than anything else.
However, his victory over longtime rival Chris Eubank Jr. in November helped raise his profile significantly.
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Even so, O'Malley is not convinced that Benn's contract is really worth the reported $15 million.
Speaking on his podcast, he questioned whether the 29-year-old is a big enough name to justify such a payout.
"For me, it's so hard to believe, I did see and I heard it, I've been told, but I'm like, that doesn't mean it's true," 'Suga' said.
"I don't know, it could very well be true. I can't imagine it being true, Zuffa Boxing, it's like, they're paying out ($15 million), I don't even know who Conor Benn is.
"Supposedly he's like, a pretty big name in boxing but I've never f—— heard of him, I've never heard of him.
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"I could see it being out of an ego thing (by Dana White), I guess as a business thing too you're bringing in a legit guy.
"If they really paid this Conor Benn guy $15 million, it's crazy how you can just put in so much work in the UFC, build this name, create this character, be this star and I'm not making f—— $15 million a fight."
Who could be Conor Benn's first opponent under Zuffa Boxing?
Benn recently called out Ryan Garcia for a WBC world welterweight title fight, even though Zuffa Boxing is not aligning with any of the established sanctioning bodies.
Even so, there could be interest from Dana White and Zuffa Boxing in making that match-up happen, perhaps with their own version of a title on the line.
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