Dana White stopped short of confirming Shakur Stevenson’s signing with Zuffa Boxing after their sixth card in Las Vegas, but the smirk that accompanied his answer said plenty.
Sports Illustrated senior writer Chris Mannix reported late last week that Stevenson, the 140-pound champion and third-ranked pound-for-pound fighter on Ring Magazine’s rankings, is finalizing a deal with Zuffa Boxing. White was asked about the report at the Zuffa 06 post-fight press conference and kept his answer deliberately vague.
“Did we announce Shakur Stevenson? No? Possibly. Listen, at the end of the day, I think that everybody is going to be here at Zuffa Boxing.”
Stevenson is arguably the best active American boxer following Terence Crawford’s retirement and would represent easily the most significant signing in Zuffa Boxing’s four-month existence. He and Conor Benn, who is already signed with the promotion, have been going back and forth publicly about a potential fight.
White was also asked about welterweight champion Devin Haney following a cryptic post from his father and manager Bill Haney on X that teased a deal worth over $100 million before Devin turns 30. When pressed on whether that contract is with Zuffa Boxing, White maintained his pattern of non-denial.
“I think that everybody is going to be at Zuffa Boxing eventually. At the end of 2026, judge us by our body of work as we head into 2027. I don’t know why I would say things that aren’t true. Look at what we’ve done in just four months.”
Zuffa Boxing has already signed Edgar Berlanga, Richardson Hitchins, and British cruiserweight Chris Billiam-Smith in recent months alongside Benn and Jai Opetaia, building a roster at an aggressive pace since launching in January.