Conor Benn has returned to the welterweight division after a four-year absence, stepping in for what many considered an undeserved WBC title opportunity against Ryan Garcia. Nevertheless, Dana White sees qualities in the British challenger that extend far beyond the events of Saturday night.
“Tell me something in the history of the world where trillions of dollars in revenue have been generated, yet at the end of the day there’s nothing there? That’s been boxing,” White told DAZN Boxing. “Now I’m going to turn boxing into a business. And when you create a business or build a business or invest in a business, you have to have people that you can invest in. Who can you build a business around? Everything that I have seen from Conor Benn, he’s a guy you can build a business around. Disciplined, hardworking, gets the business side and the boxing side. Works hard on both ends. He’s one of the most unique fighters I’ve ever met.”
While discipline and professionalism make Benn easier to promote, neither quality answers the crucial question of how he will fare against the division’s elite. A sustainable boxing business ultimately requires victories that withstand intense scrutiny, a benchmark Benn’s current record has yet to meet.
Benn plans to move up to middleweight following his clash with Ryan. That division offers even fewer safe havens for a fighter looking to avoid tough tests. While he might have a chance against a seemingly weaker champion like Aaron McKenna, placing him in the ring with Carlos Adames, Yoenli Hernandez, or even a 43-year-old Erislandy Lara would likely end in disappointment.
A sensible business strategy would dictate avoiding those dangerous matchups entirely. Zuffa can instead guide Benn toward vulnerable titleholders, vacant belts, or secondary sanctioning body championships.
A third encounter with Chris Eubank Jr. seems almost inevitable if Zuffa seeks a profitable, winnable matchup that minimizes risk. At 36 and nearing 37, Eubank is far removed from his prime. The domestic rivalry already sells well in Britain, and Eubank presents far less danger than Adames, Hernandez, or Lara. It is precisely the kind of recycled grudge match that can generate substantial revenue while keeping Benn away from the division’s top threats.
This approach would make Benn a useful house fighter. He trains diligently, handles promotional duties, and provides White with the cooperation needed to keep Zuffa’s brand at the forefront. These traits can be far more valuable to a promoter than the ability to defeat every elite opponent.
Careful opponent selection can also create entertaining matchups by pairing Benn with aggressive fighters who lack the skill or durability to exploit his defensive flaws. Such fights would appear highly dangerous to casual viewers while remaining entirely manageable for Benn. Modern boxing offers numerous pathways to market a fighter as a champion without requiring them to defeat the strongest competitor in the division.
British fans are likely to continue tuning in large numbers due to Benn’s famous surname and his ability to sell a grudge. American viewers, however, care little about his father, Nigel Benn. Most younger fans in the United States have no idea who Nigel is, having grown up in an era where British boxing was not easily accessible to American audiences before the rise of DAZN.
Benn can become a commercial attraction with protective matchmaking. However, White speaks as if he has discovered a transformational star, a distinction that is enormous.