Shakur Stevenson ends Zuffa contract before even fighting for Dana White’s promotion

Shakur Stevenson has announced that he was granted his release from Zuffa Boxing, before fighting for the controversial new promotion even once.

On Monday, Stevenson posted a video on his YouTube channel, speaking to camera and sharing the details of his release – which comes just three months after he signed for Zuffa.

Zuffa, led by UFC chief Dana White and Saudi matchmaker Turki Alalshikh, entered boxing in January and made clear its desire to do away with the sport’s traditional belt system, introducing its own championships.

This led new signing Jai Opetaia to be stripped of his IBF cruiserweight title, and it generally ruffled feathers, as did the signing of Conor Benn in February; the British star left longtime promoter Eddie Hearn for rival White, on a reported one-fight deal worth $15m, despite Hearn’s support during Benn’s two-year drug-test saga.

The third major Zuffa signing was Stevenson, who is deemed one of the pound-for-pound best boxers in the world, but the American has left Zuffa already.

“I’ve been working my ass off, staying focused, staying in shape,” the 29-year-old said on YouTube. “I’ve been in camp for, like, eight weeks preparing for fights that I was told was going to happen and it has not happened. But look, it is what it is: this is the business of boxing.

“I’m not mad at anyone, I’m not pointing no fingers, but upon all of these issues and things that’s been going on, I requested to be released from Zuffa Boxing.

“Now, over the weekend, my request has been granted and I am officially a free agent. This time, I want to tell the fans and tell everybody that’s in the public that I am now taking my career in my own hands and I’m starting my own promotional company. And I’m willing to work with other promoters and anybody else that’s out there that’s willing to be as serious about my career as I am about my career.”

Stevenson was seemingly alluding to a collapsed fight with compatriot Devin Haney, which would have been Stevenson’s first bout since his one-sided points win over Teofimo Lopez in January. That win kept Stevenson unbeaten and made him a four-weight world champion, as he picked up the WBO super-lightweight belt.

Despite Stevenson saying he was “pointing no fingers”, he did share a video featuring Hearn, in which the British promoter seemed to mock White over this latest development.

Hearn, who previously promoted Stevenson, was filmed dancing by Matchroom colleague Frank Smith, who captioned the video: “Mood right now [laughing emoji] how’s your #bodyofwork.”

The words were a reference to White addressing criticism of Zuffa by saying that the promotion should be judged on its “body of work” – especially by the end of 2026.

Zuffa’s struggles have included Benn’s second outing under their banner, after he extended his initial one-fight deal. Benn, who outpointed Regis Prograis on his Zuffa debut, was stopped by Ryan Garcia in the second round of their September title fight.

“I’m just excited,” Stevenson continued in his video. “I’m excited to be in this position, I’m excited to be starting a new journey, and the mission is still the same: I want the biggest and best fights available at 135lb or 140lb, where I hold my title.

“It doesn’t matter the name, it doesn’t matter who you put in front of me; none of these guys can beat me. I say give it maybe a year or two, we will get to 147, where everybody is pressing me to be a 147-pounder. I will get there, but on my time, and not on nobody else’s.”