Hearn indicated that questions remain about who will officially promote the program.
“Mark Shapiro on a TKO investment call said Zuffa and TKO are the promoters of the Tyson Fury event,” Hearn said during a media interview. “So we’ll see if they are.”
Hearn noted that Benn’s participation must still meet the terms of the fighter’s promotional agreement.
“And by the way, they have to be under Conor Benn’s contract,” he said.
Benn remains tied to Matchroom Boxing under a long-term promotional deal, meaning any appearance on an undercard must adhere to that deal.
Major boxing events sometimes move forward through co-promotional agreements or event-specific arrangements that allow fighters to appear while remaining under existing contracts.
Tyson Fury, who has been linked to a fight against Arslanbek Makhmudov, is expected to appear on the card.
Zuffa’s entry into boxing drew attention across the sport as big purses began attracting fighters to the new venture. Those deals also raise questions about how existing promotional contracts will work when fighters appear at outside events and how those arrangements will be approved.
Benn’s fight with Prograis quickly became one of the biggest fights connected to the project. The reported purse and the involvement of various promoters has put the event under scrutiny, with others in the sport watching to see how these arrangements are handled and whether similar deals follow soon.
