Frank Warren has hit out at Conor Benn's £10million deal with Dana White - claiming he is not even the best in Essex.

Benn has signed a one-fight deal with White's Zuffa Boxing promotion and is expected to make his debut for the UFC CEO in the UK this spring. Benn's move sparked controversy after his 10-year stint with Eddie Hearn, a relationship he ended without a conversation with the promoter.

And Warren, who is seeking damages of $1billion from Zuffa's parent company TKO, cast doubt on the value of the deal. "I'll tell you something, the sums of monies that's being paid... I don't see what the investment that type of investment is doing," he said. "He's not even even the best at his weight in Essex.

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"But good luck to him, good luck to him and he's getting a few quid and it is what it is. For me, I would find definitely better places to spend my money on, or better fighters to spend my money on. I don't see that investment, but maybe I'm getting older and they know better than I do."

Hearn was left furious with Benn's decision - and Warren has backed his former rival. "I actually sent him a little note. I said... I'm not going to say what I sent in a note, but I sent him a little note, sent him a text. It reminded me when I got shot years ago and there was a fighter who said, 'I wish I was there. I would've took a bullet for you and all that s***'.

"I'm in the hospital and a month later he went over and signed with Barry Hearn. I remember sending him a message saying, 'Where were you when I needed you to take that bullet? I don't know how it will end.