LONDON — Conor Benn marked his first fight under the Zuffa Boxing banner with a unanimous points win over Regis Prograis at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday.
All three judges scored the bout 98-92 in favour of the Brit, who outworked and outfought former junior welterweight champion Prograis.
Benn (25-1, 14 KOs) set the pace of the fight in the early rounds, flicking his left jab and searching for big right hands as his speed and movement made life difficult for Prograis (30-4, 24 KOs).
The first three rounds were cagey but comfortable for Benn. While Benn controlled the fight and moved well, he didn’t impose himself on Prograis – who had only once fought about 150 pounds before — in the way many thought he would.
By the end of Round 6, Benn had cuts around both eyes due to accidental head clashes and Prograis took advantage with more success in the middle rounds. Prograis landed a big left hand in Round 7 and appeared to gain confidence as the fight went on after his lacklustre start. However, Benn’s work rate was superior overall as he started to target Prograis’ body late on.
Prograis showed grit and heart as he continued to call Benn forward despite being caught several times by both the stiff left jab and looping right hand of his British opponent. However, he didn’t appear too fazed by Benn’s power.
Benn put together a clean tenth round to finish the bout, landing several good combinations as he let his hands go but couldn’t find a knockdown against a spirited Prograis. Benn was fighting for the first time since November when he beat Chris Eubank Jr. on points in their rematch.
It was also the Brit’s first fight under Dana White’s Zuffa Boxing following his split with Eddie Hearn and Matchroom in February. Earlier this week, Benn said he would be a free after the Prograis fight but conceded Zuffa were in the driver’s seat to promote him going forward.
He also said he wants to complete a move back down to 147 pounds to face WBC welterweight champion Ryan Garcia next.
