“We have a truly, world class stable of fighters, and you will see more announcements soon for others signing extended terms with us, along with some new signings,” Hearn said.
Hearn is playing a classic “buy low, hold long” game. By locking them down now, he avoids the headache of a bidding war once they’re headlining arenas or being courted by the new deep pockets of Zuffa Boxing.
He’s essentially creating a closed ecosystem. With that massive new DAZN extension through 2031, he has the guaranteed dates to keep these guys active, which is the ultimate leverage for a young fighter who just wants to stay busy.
Thehe timing isn’t accidental. With Conor Benn recently jumping ship to Zuffa for that $15M payday, Hearn realized his “gentleman’s agreements” weren’t enough. He’s shifting toward iron-clad, long-term contracts for the 21-23 age bracket.
It’s cheaper to double a prospect’s salary now than to try and match a Vegas-backed offer once they’re 15-0 with a British title around their waist. He’s building a “fortress” around his domestic talent to ensure that if anyone wants them, they’ll have to pay Matchroom a king’s ransom in step-aside or release fees.
The timing isn’t accidental. With Conor Benn recently jumping ship to Zuffa for that $15M payday, Hearn realized his “gentleman’s agreements” weren’t enough. He’s shifting toward iron-clad, long-term contracts for the 21-23 age bracket.
He isn’t just stopping with Liddard and Visioli. If you look at the rest of the stable, the pattern is identical:
Jimmy Sains: Another Tony Sims protégé who just picked up the English middleweight title on the same Copper Box card. Expect his “extension” announcement any day now.
Pat Brown: The cruiserweight powerhouse who is being positioned as the heir to the domestic throne. He’s already being used as a face for the new DAZN 2026-2031 launch.
Cameron Vuong: He picked up the WBO European lightweight title last year and is being groomed for the same path as Visioli.
Junaid Bostan: “Star Boy” is already a Commonwealth Silver champ. Hearn has him on a multi-fight deal that likely has “renewal” written all over it before he touches a world title shot.
