Eddie Hearn has revealed he found out about Conor Benn's move to sign with Dana White's Zuffa Boxing via email, and the British boxer refused his phone call.
Benn stunned the boxing world on Friday by announcing he had left Hearn's Matchroom to sign with White's Zuffa Boxing having been with the British promoter his whole career.
Hearn backed Benn through a two-year suspension after he tested positive for a banned substance in 2022. Benn has always maintained his innocence and was cleared to fight in the UK again in 2024.
After he was cleared, Hearn promoted Benn through two stadium fights against Chris Eubank Jr. last year and had been positioning him for a world title shot.
Hearn said he had leant "hundreds of thousands of pounds" to Benn during the period he was out of the ring.
The Matchroom boss said he found out about the move when he received an email from Benn's lawyer.
"Me personally, pretty devastated. It's not often you get shocked, and I blame myself because I forgot it was boxing," Hearn told iFL TV.
"When I received the email from his lawyer, I text him [Benn] and said: 'I think we should have a call. For everything I've done for you I think I deserve a call' ... And he said no.
"I don't know what to say. I felt everything we gave him, the loyalty, the support, would be enough to talk it through ... But there wasn't really the interest. Very surprising. Very painful, but just another moment in life that you live and learn from."
In a statement, Benn thanked Matchroom and Hearn, who said he has since exchanged messages with his former fighter.
"First and foremost, I want to thank Eddie and the entire team at Matchroom for everything they have done for me over the past decade," Benn said.
"From guiding me when I first turned pro, to headlining stadium shows. They were not only with me for those highlight moments but stood shoulder to shoulder with me during the tough times."
While Hearn hasn't ruled out working with Benn in the future, he said he was shocked and devastated at the move.
"I just felt that the loyalty we've shown would never ever put us in this position," Hearn said.
"I just felt that I never really needed to push Conor Benn to sign a new contract and I probably could have got him to sign a new contract previously. But I blame myself, I made a mistake because I misjudged the character.
"I gave a lot ... When no one believed him, no one backed him. I did. When he was done, out, loaned him hundreds of thousands of pounds.
"I got the character wrong, I took the loyalty for granted because of what I did and I shouldn't have done that. I've made that mistake before, I just didn't expect it from Conor Benn."
