Conor Benn controls Regis Prograis for long stretches, but the former world champion lands hard shots – after a clear points defeat, the American declares his retirement.
Conor Benn defeated Regis Prograis by unanimous decision in the co-main event of Tyson Fury vs. Arslanbek Makhmudov at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. All three judges scored the bout 98-92 in favor of Benn (25-1, 14 knockouts), with the scorecards reflecting the flow of the fight as Prograis struggled to build a consistent offense and regularly land punches. Nevertheless, the American repeatedly landed good head shots, which led to visible cuts for the Englishman.
After the fight, Prograis announced his retirement from professional boxing. The US-American was a two-time world champion and ended his career with a record of 30-4 (24 knockouts). Benn had previously caused a stir when he signed a reported $15 million one-fight contract with Dana White’s Zuffa Boxing, leaving Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing.
In the meantime, the Englishman had moved up to middleweight to fight two fights against his arch-rival Chris Eubank Jr. Last night, however, he competed at catchweight at 150 pounds with the clear aim of boxing at welterweight again in the future. Despite the clear victory overall, Benn did not yet look like a world-class boxer. There are many indications that a duel with WBC world champion Ryan Garcia is planned next. According to reports, Benn will now become a free agent as his contract with Zuffa Boxing has apparently expired. However, he is expected to sign a new multi-fight contract with Zuffa in the near future.