Overview
- Oscar De La Hoya posted an Instagram video on Friday that labeled Zuffa Boxing a “Trojan Horse” and warned that early large one- or two-fight deals are recruitment bait rather than a sustainable pay model.
- De La Hoya argued Zuffa aims to set its own rankings and a promotion-created belt and said those moves could enable the company to change how boxing is governed and reduce fighters’ leverage.
- The dispute over Jai Opetaia — who was stripped of an IBF title and has filed suit against the IBF — is cited by critics as an early legal flashpoint showing friction between Zuffa’s in-house structure and traditional sanctioning bodies.
- Zuffa Boxing has rapidly signed high-profile names to short-term, high-value deals, including Shakur Stevenson, Conor Benn and Jai Opetaia, which rivals such as Eddie Hearn say looks unsustainable and risks undercutting established sanctioning credibility.
- Critics point to past legal fights involving Zuffa/UFC, including the Le v. Zuffa settlement, as a precedent for how exclusive promoter control can compress pay, and they say regulators, fighters and promoters should watch for contract terms, renewal clauses and any effort to alter the Muhammad Ali Act.