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Shakur Stevenson Reported to Be Finalizing Deal With Dana White’s Zuffa Boxing

The near-deal would give Zuffa a pound-for-pound headliner, signaling a shift in boxing’s paydays.

Overview

  • Stevenson, who was reported Saturday by Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix to be finalizing a Zuffa Boxing agreement, has not been officially announced as signed.
  • If completed, the move would place the WBO and Ring junior welterweight champion alongside Conor Benn at Zuffa, creating a likely welterweight matchup between them.
  • Stevenson is 25-0 with 11 knockouts and outpointed Teofimo Lopez 119-109 at Madison Square Garden on January 31 to win his 140-pound titles.
  • Zuffa Boxing is run by Nick Khan and fronted by Dana White with Saudi financing and a Paramount+ plan, and its big guarantees include Benn’s reported $15 million offer and the three-fight $60 million figure Stevenson previously brushed off.
  • Mannix reports Zuffa will work with sanctioning bodies for top stars, raising immediate questions about whether Stevenson keeps his belts or vacates them as he targets higher-paying events.