Shakur Stevenson, Zuffa Boxing’s most high-profile signing, is out, ending a partnership that produced zero fights and multiple rounds of failed negotiations. This isn’t just a breakup; it’s a huge neon sign flashing exactly why Dana White’s UFC model isn’t built for the wild world of boxing, and frankly, why it never will be.
Dana White’s Boxing Dream Just Hit the Ropes Hard
Remember when Eddie Hearn warned everyone earlier this year? He said, “In boxing, you can never have control. It’s out of control. But you’ve got to be up for being in that world.” Well, three months with Stevenson just gave Dana White a brutal taste of what Hearn meant. Stevenson, the WBO super lightweight world champion and Uncrowned’s No. 4 pound-for-pound fighter, was supposed to be the jewel in Zuffa’s crown after its January inception. Instead, his departure Monday after not a single fight exposes a fundamental, massive problem: just signing a star doesn’t mean you control the fights that make him valuable. In UFC, TKO owns the arena, the opponents, the whole dang show. Fighters might push for a better deal or a different opponent, sure, but ultimately, the company calls the shots. Sean Strickland, the UFC middleweight champion, found that out the hard way recently. But boxing? That’s a whole different animal.
The “Out of Control” Fiasco: $3 Million Problems and Dismissed Opponents
With Stevenson, the power balance was totally different. Zuffa got his signature, but all his most desirable opponents were outside their stable. Their purses, their schedules, their willingness to step into the ring with Stevenson,all of it was beyond White’s control. White, who had famously said he wouldn’t work with other promoters, had to swallow that pride almost immediately. The first obvious pick was Jose “Rayo” Valenzuela, the biggest lightweight in Zuffa’s own stable. Stevenson instantly dismissed that matchup. Then came the parade of roadblocks. They explored a unification fight with WBA super lightweight champion Gary Antuanne Russell, but Russell wanted $3 million. Three million bucks! Zuffa wasn’t willing to pay it. A mandatory defense against Raymond Muratalla? Unfeasible. There were even talks about putting Stevenson on the Tyson Fury versus Anthony Joshua undercard, maybe against Manny Pacquiao, but those discussions hit a financial roadblock, too. It was just one brick wall after another.
The White Flag Waves on Dana’s Boxing Kingdom
With literally nothing else on the table for their superstar, Zuffa had to pivot, hard. They let Stevenson try to set up a fight with WBO welterweight champion Devin Haney. Now, a Stevenson versus Haney matchup, featuring two of boxing’s leading stars under 30, was explored earlier this year when Haney was considering Zuffa. But then Haney joined DAZN, and everyone thought that fight was dead in the water because they were tied to different networks. But here’s the kicker: with Zuffa and Paramount completely unable to make a meaningful fight themselves, they were prepared to let Stevenson fight on DAZN. That’s right. White and company actually had to agree to let their biggest star fight on another platform. That’s not just a pivot; that’s Dana White waving the white flag, plain and simple. What does that tell you about control in boxing? It tells you there is none. This is a huge setback for Zuffa’s ambition in the sport. Where they go from here, who knows, but the boxing world just showed Dana White who’s really in charge.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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