Conor Benn’s $15M Zuffa Boxing Deal Sparks Backlash From UFC Star Sean O’Malley
Former UFC bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley has publicly questioned the reported $15 million pay Zuffa Boxing is giving British boxer Conor Benn, framing it as a sign of how much more boxing can pay than the UFC at the top level. O’Malley, who is still active in the octagon and widely regarded as one of the promotion’s biggest stars, said he does not earn anywhere near that per fight despite building a mainstream name through UFC main events and social media.
Sean O’Malley: How Conor Benn’s $15 Million Zuffa Boxing Deal Exposed the UFC Pay Gap
Speaking on his podcast and YouTube channel, O’Malley told listeners: “I don’t even know who Conor Benn is… It’s crazy how you put in so much work in the UFC, build this name, create this character, be this star. I’m not making f**king $15 million a fight.” He emphasized that news of the figure came from others and that he cannot confirm it, but he still finds it hard to accept that a fighter he does not recognize could be commanding that kind of number for a single bout under Dana White’s Zuffa Boxing banner.
O’Malley noted that Benn is reportedly signed to a one‑fight deal with Zuffa Boxing, which is UFC’s new boxing arm backed by Saudi promoter Turki Alalshikh and overseen by UFC president Dana White. Veteran boxing reporter Dan Rafael has reported that the contract is worth $15 million for that single appearance, a number that immediately triggered comparisons to UFC pay, where even champions typically combine base pay, bonuses, and pay‑per‑view shares to reach similar totals over multiple fights.
O’Malley acknowledged that boxing’s structure allows promoters to compete for fighters, which can drive prices higher than the UFC model, where one promotion controls the major stage and has faced antitrust scrutiny over suppressed fighter pay. He also pointed out that he has a significantly larger social media following than Benn, which only adds to his disbelief that the British boxer is being positioned as a high‑value acquisition.
Looking at his own UFC situation, O’Malley said he has two fights left on his current deal and will need to renegotiate, adding: “The UFC doesn’t like when people fight their contract out. Technically, it should be bigger than the last contract because I’m coming off a win.”
