Conor Benn Signs £11.38m Deal to Face Prograis Before September WBC Title Aim

Conor Benn has secured a £11.38 million contract to fight Regis Prograis on April 11 as he pursues the WBC welterweight title held by Ryan Garcia.

Conor Benn has finalized a one-fight agreement with Dana White’s Zuffa Boxing worth £11.38 million ($15 million) to face former two-time world light-welterweight champion Regis Prograis on April 11. The 29-year-old fighter will compete on the undercard of the heavyweight clash between Tyson Fury and Arslanbek Makhmudov at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. This high-stakes bout serves as the final hurdle before Benn’s planned challenge for the Conor Benn WBC title currently held by Ryan Garcia in September. Benn enters this training camp following a comprehensive points victory in his November rematch against Chris Eubank Jr, a result that leveled their series after a previous encounter.

Regis Prograis represents a significant technical challenge as a seasoned southpaw, requiring Benn to adopt a specific tactical approach. The London-based welterweight is currently adhering to a rigorous dieting regimen and mental conditioning program designed to foster a "destroy and destruct" mentality. He describes this psychological state as entering a "dark place" where empathy for his opponent is discarded in favor of professional efficiency. Benn views the upcoming April contest as a direct investment in his children’s future, treating the 147-pound clash as a mandatory obstacle to his family's long-term financial security.

The financial structure of the £11.38 million deal marks one of the most lucrative single-fight purses for a non-heavyweight in British boxing history. This Zuffa Boxing contract ensures that Benn remains a central figure in the sport's global expansion, specifically under the promotional umbrella of the UFC's parent company. By securing a spot on the Fury-Makhmudov bill, Benn guarantees maximum visibility for his brand ahead of the proposed autumn world title tilt. The April 11 date at the 62,850-capacity Tottenham Hotspur Stadium will be his third consecutive appearance in a large-scale arena environment.

Benn’s journey to this point has been complicated by a provisional two-year suspension following two positive tests for a banned substance during voluntary drug screenings. The legal proceedings to overturn this ban were protracted, causing the fighter to miss significant ring time and endure intense public scrutiny. During this hiatus, Benn admitted to struggling with severe depression and anxiety, conditions he managed through professional therapy and a renewed commitment to his Christian faith. He has been vocal about the emotional toll of the investigation, noting that his mental health reached a nadir where he relied on alcohol to cope with the uncertainty of his career.

His previous encounter with Chris Eubank Jr in April 2025 resulted in a unanimous points defeat, a performance Benn attributes to his fractured mental state at the time. He noted that during that specific training camp, the stress was so visible that he failed to recognize his own face in promotional photographs. The subsequent victory in the November rematch served as a corrective measure, proving his ability to perform under pressure when mentally stable. This redemption arc is set to culminate in the September challenge for the WBC belt, which remains the primary motivation for his current training intensity.

Ryan Garcia currently holds the WBC welterweight championship and is the designated target for Benn’s post-Prograis plans. A victory in September would make Benn a world champion exactly two years after his career was nearly derailed by administrative and legal hurdles. The fighter believes that his recent experiences have provided him with a "chip on his shoulder" that younger, less-tested athletes lack. He explicitly stated on The Overlap that his current persona is not that of a "nice person," but rather a focused competitor obsessed with dismantling anyone standing in the way of his championship aspirations.

The technical preparation for Prograis involves sparring sessions specifically tailored to counter the former champion's counter-punching style. Benn is focusing on high-volume output and lateral movement to negate the southpaw advantage Prograis typically enjoys. This camp is being treated as a high-altitude mental exercise, where physical exhaustion is used to build the resilience needed for a twelve-round championship distance. The fighter’s team has emphasized that there is no room for error, as a loss in April would effectively terminate the lucrative September agreement with Garcia’s camp.

Benn’s return to the ring is also a testament to his resilience against the backdrop of a polarized boxing community. While some critics remain skeptical of his previous drug test results, the lifting of his suspension has allowed him to resume his pursuit of the Conor Benn WBC title with full legal clearance. He views the £11.38 million purse as a validation of his market value and a sign that the industry still views him as a premier attraction. The April 11 event is expected to draw a sell-out crowd, further cementing Benn's status as a stadium-level draw in the United Kingdom.

Ultimately, the 2025 calendar for Conor Benn is defined by three distinct phases: the redemption of the Eubank rematch, the high-stakes hurdle of Regis Prograis, and the championship climax against Ryan Garcia. Each step is calculated to maximize both his legacy and his earnings, with the WBC title serving as the ultimate prize. Benn remains convinced that his path from the depths of a mental health crisis to the pinnacle of the welterweight division will serve as a blueprint for other athletes facing similar adversity. His focus remains fixed on the April 11 bell, where the first punch will signal the start of his final run toward world honors.