Eddie Hearn makes bold Conor Benn prediction after quick loss to Ryan Garcia

Eddie Hearn has predicted that Conor Benn may soon retire from boxing following his defeat to Ryan Garcia. Garcia stopped Benn in the second round of their Las Vegas main event, retaining the WBC welterweight title. Despite beating the referee's count, Benn was overwhelmed by Garcia, leading to the referee stopping the fight. Benn later expressed uncertainty about his next move, stating that his priority is spending time with his family.

Hearn, who had previously predicted Ryan Garcia's win inside three rounds, now believes that Benn's career is coming to an end. He stated that Benn may have one more fight, but after that, there may be no significance left in his boxing career. Hearn also noted that Benn does not stand a chance against any significant opponents at middleweight, and suggests that Benn is in the sport solely to make money.

Benn's split from Hearn's Matchroom promotion was sudden, coming after a drug-testing saga in 2022-2024, during which Benn remained loyal to Hearn until he joined Zuffa Boxing under Dana White. Benn had previously failed two drug tests and was provisionally suspended from fighting in the UK, but was later cleared. He earned $15 million to sign with Zuffa for a one-fight deal and made his promotional debut against Regis Prograis, followed by an outpoint victory over a career-highest weight Arslanbek Makhmudov.

Benn's next likely move is a trilogy bout with Chris Eubank Jr, who beat him in April and November, scoring knockdowns in both fights. Eubank Jr, 36, mocked Benn after his loss to Garcia, while Denzel Bentley, the middleweight champion, has offered Benn a shot at his WBO belt.