Boxing Wire

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  • Dana White Teases Two New Zuffa Boxing Signings

    Dana White Teases Two New Zuffa Boxing Signings

    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.

  • Nahir Albright is Coming With Revenge on his Mind for Keyshawn Davis Rematch

    Nahir Albright is Coming With Revenge on his Mind for Keyshawn Davis Rematch

    Nahir Albright is heading back to Norfolk, Virginia, carrying a chip on his shoulder that goes beyond the result of his first fight with Keyshawn Davis, and he has made his intentions for Saturday night at the Scope Arena unmistakably clear.

    The rematch headlines Top Rank’s inaugural event under its new deal with DAZN, making the bout especially significant as the first card of a new promotional partnership. The fight itself carries its own complicated history. Their October contest originally ended with Davis winning a majority decision before that result was overturned to a no-contest following a positive test for marijuana. The same arena where that fight took place also witnessed a backstage incident between the two that has fuelled the animosity heading into the rematch.

    Albright, who carries a 17-2-1 record with seven knockouts, has been careful not to revisit the specifics of that backstage moment while making clear it still burns. He told Boxing Scene:

    “Honestly, I don’t want to relive that moment, I just want to focus on this fight. It does motivate me. It is a chip on my shoulder, and it is unsettled. We have to handle it in the ring.”

    The night of their first fight had been a difficult one for the Davis family overall. Albright had defeated Kelvin Davis, Keyshawn’s older brother, in a significant upset, while Keyshawn lost his WBO lightweight title on the scales after his scheduled fight against Edwin De Los Santos was cancelled when he missed weight. Abdullah Mason was elevated to the main event in the confusion that followed.

    Albright is unbeaten since moving up to junior welterweight and has fought once since the Davis win, drawing with Frank Martin in February. He believes the weight class move and the lessons learned from the first contest make him a different fighter heading into Saturday.

    “I felt I didn’t show all of myself that night. It is a new weight class now, and I am stronger. It is going to be different this time around.”

    He left no ambiguity about his approach to walking into hostile territory in Davis’s hometown.

    “My mindset is to go to Virginia and seek and destroy. Get him out of there, and show the world where I belong. It is personal. I am coming to fight, I am not coming to play with him. I am about to shock the world next week.”

    Davis, 14-0 with 10 knockouts, is a 2020 U.S. Olympic silver medalist who made his junior welterweight debut in January, stopping Jamaine Ortiz. The 27-year-old will have the Norfolk crowd firmly behind him.

  • Tyson Fury Labels Anthony Joshua ‘Chinny’ After Watching This Fight

    Tyson Fury Labels Anthony Joshua ‘Chinny’ After Watching This Fight

    Tyson Fury has used Daniel Dubois’ stunning comeback win over Fabio Wardley on Saturday night to make a pointed observation about Anthony Joshua, the man he is expected to fight later this year.

    Posting on social media after watching Dubois stop Wardley in the 11th round to claim the WBO heavyweight title, Fury noted a pattern in Dubois’s recent record that he believes says something significant about Joshua.

    “I’ve just sat here thinking after Dubois’ unbelievable fight. Dubois fought ‘Big Baby’ Miller, stopped him but never put him down. Then he fought Hrgovic, stopped him but never put him down. He fought Wardley, an unbelievable fight, stopped him but never put him down. He hit Usyk with some bombs, never put him over. Yet he fights Anthony Joshua and pummels him and puts him to the floor four times. I’m not saying Anthony Joshua’s chinless but there are the facts. Take it as you wish and as you will. Everybody else never went over, not a singular person, ‘Big Baby’ Miller, Hrgovic, Usyk or Wardley but Joshua goes down four times. Chinny!”

    Fury also teased news about his next fight, calling it unbelievable and exciting, with details to be revealed soon. The 37-year-old returned to action in April with a win over Arslanbek Makhmudov in London, his first fight since suffering his second loss to Oleksandr Usyk in 2024.

    Dubois’s victory on Saturday improved his record to 23-3 with 22 knockouts and gave him the WBO heavyweight title that Fury himself once held. The win also set up a potential future collision with WBO mandatory challenger Moses Itauma, though Frank Warren has indicated both Dubois and Wardley will need at least six months out after the brutality of their war in Manchester.

    Fury and Joshua are expected to meet in Britain in November, with the fight set to be broadcast on Netflix. Joshua faces Kristian Prenga in Riyadh on July 25 as a tune-up before the mega fight.

  • Dana White Calls Eddie Hearn ‘Fruit Loop’ in Epic Rant

    Dana White Calls Eddie Hearn ‘Fruit Loop’ in Epic Rant

    Dana White delivered one of his more colorful responses to Eddie Hearn on Saturday night following UFC 328 in Newark, firing back at the Matchroom Boxing promoter after Hearn branded him a clout chaser and told him to find his courage over the Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua situation.

    The dispute centers on White’s claim that he would be involved in promoting the Fury and Joshua fight later this year, which both Hearn and Fury’s promoter Frank Warren flatly denied. When asked by IFL TV’s Colm McGuigan to clarify his involvement after UFC 328, White gave a deliberately vague answer.

    “I don’t know, let’s see what happens.”

    When McGuigan pressed him on Hearn and Warren’s denials, White kept it equally brief.

    “Then it must not be true.”

    It was only when Bloody Elbow asked White to respond to Hearn’s specific language, including the clout chaser comment and the invitation to find his courage, that White opened up fully.

    “This fruit loop came out and said he’s the fing biggest fight in boxing while he has Bam Rodriguez and Anthony Joshua and all the other guys that are out there. He’s the biggest fight in boxing? Those are his words, you know what a fing fruit loop you’ve got to be to say that? Nobody knew who this guy was four months ago and now he’s the biggest fight in boxing? I hope I answered your question.”

    The two promoters have been trading public insults for several months, with an actual boxing match between them having been floated by multiple parties as a way of settling the dispute. Hearn’s comments about White’s courage appear to be a reference to those fight talks stalling. Fury and Joshua are expected to meet later in 2026 in Britain on Netflix, with Frank Warren placing November as the most likely window.

  • Eddie Hearn Calls Dana White Promoting Fury vs. Joshua ‘Contractually Impossible’ and a Clout Chase

    Eddie Hearn Calls Dana White Promoting Fury vs. Joshua ‘Contractually Impossible’ and a Clout Chase

    Eddie Hearn has dismissed Dana White’s suggestion that he will be involved in promoting Tyson Fury versus Anthony Joshua, calling it contractually impossible and taking a pointed personal shot at the UFC president in the same breath.

    White had publicly claimed involvement in the long-awaited British heavyweight showdown, prompting Hearn to respond on his Instagram story with language that made his position unmistakably clear.

    “Such a clout chaser. Not a chance and contractually impossible. Let me know when you find your b—.”

    The final line was a reference to Hearn’s earlier accusation that White backed out of a boxing match between the two promoters that had been publicly discussed.

    Hearn also posted a screenshot referencing TKO president Mark Shapiro’s claim that Zuffa Boxing had been involved in promoting Fury’s recent comeback win over Arslanbek Makhmudov, adding a second dig in a separate story.

    “Oh yeah, they said they were promoting this one too. What happened?”

    The Fury and Joshua fight has been signed for later in 2026 on Netflix, with Frank Warren confirming November is now the more likely window after October was initially floated. Joshua faces Kristian Prenga in Riyadh on July 25 before the mega fight. No date or venue has been officially confirmed for the Fury and Joshua bout, though it is expected to take place in Britain.

  • Oleksandr Usyk vs. Rico Verhoeven Crossover Card Set for May 23 at the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt

    Oleksandr Usyk vs. Rico Verhoeven Crossover Card Set for May 23 at the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt

    Oleksandr Usyk’s crossover boxing match against kickboxing legend Rico Verhoeven now has a full fight card around it, with the nine-fight show set for May 23 at the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt on DAZN pay-per-view. 

    The card kicks off at 1 p.m. ET, with Usyk and Verhoeven expected to make their ring walks around 5 p.m. ET. Usyk carries a 24-0 record into the bout and has established himself as arguably the best pound-for-pound boxer on the planet across his runs at cruiserweight and heavyweight. He unified the heavyweight titles by defeating Anthony Joshua twice and added the WBC belt to his collection with a split decision victory over Tyson Fury in 2024. Two of his last five opponents have been stopped, demonstrating that his technical brilliance is backed by genuine finishing power.

    The undercard is stacked with genuine talent. Hamzah Sheeraz and Alem Begic open the main card in what should be a compelling middleweight contest. Sheeraz is one of British boxing’s most celebrated young prospects, a power puncher who has generated significant attention on the domestic scene and is beginning to make noise on the international stage. 

    Jack Catterall and Shakhram Giyasov meet in a super lightweight contest. Frank Sanchez and Richard Torrez Jr. collide in a heavyweight matchup that features two genuine contenders in one of the sport’s most exciting weight classes.

    The card also features Mizuki Hiruta against Mai Soliman, Basem Mamdouh taking on Jamar Talley, Sultan Almohammed against Deny Impart, Mahmoud Moubarek versus Ali Sserunkuma, and Omar Hikal against Michael Kalyalya rounding out the nine-fight lineup.

    The Pyramids of Giza setting adds a dimension to the event that no boxing card can replicate. The location has been used for large-scale entertainment and sporting events in recent years as Egypt has aggressively pursued high-profile international productions, but a unified heavyweight champion headlining a card against a kickboxing legend in the shadow of one of the world’s most iconic ancient structures is a genuinely unprecedented combination.

    The full card is as follows: Oleksandr Usyk vs. Rico Verhoeven, Hamzah Sheeraz vs. Alem Begic, Jack Catterall vs. Shakhram Giyasov, Frank Sanchez vs. Richard Torrez Jr., Mizuki Hiruta vs. Mai Soliman, Basem Mamdouh vs. Jamar Talley, Sultan Almohammed vs. Deny Impart, Mahmoud Moubarek vs. Ali Sserunkuma, and Omar Hikal vs. Michael Kalyalya. The event takes place May 23 in Egypt on DAZN pay-per-view.

  • Mayweather vs. Pacquiao 2 Officially Moves Away From Sphere

    Mayweather vs. Pacquiao 2 Officially Moves Away From Sphere

    Any remaining doubt about Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao’s rematch leaving The Sphere has been removed, with the Eagles confirming a concert at the venue on September 19, formally closing the door on the fight happening there.

    The move was reported last week by Boxing Scene, with an industry source noting that staging the fight at The Sphere never made logical sense, given the venue’s lack of a casino connection and its high costs.

    That report has now been proven correct by events. The Eagles’ announcement of their September 19 date makes the Sphere unavailable for a fight that was never a natural fit for the location to begin with.

    The rematch is now expected to land at either T-Mobile Arena or MGM Grand Garden Arena, both of which carry the casino integration that promoters and gambling partners require for an event of this commercial scale. A date shift from September 19 to August 15 has also been discussed, with T-Mobile Arena open on that date.

    Mayweather and Pacquiao’s original meeting on May 2, 2015 at MGM Grand Garden Arena generated the highest pay-per-view revenue in boxing history. Mayweather, 49, holds a 50-0 professional record and is booked for a June 27 exhibition against kickboxer Mike Zambidis in Athens before the Netflix rematch. Pacquiao, 47, is 62-8-3 and most recently fought Mario Barrios to a draw in a WBC welterweight title fight last July.

  • Francis Ngannou Makes His Fury vs. Joshua Prediction

    Francis Ngannou Makes His Fury vs. Joshua Prediction

    Francis Ngannou has a unique perspective on the Anthony Joshua-Tyson Fury fight, having shared the ring with both men within a year. And despite being knocked out by Joshua in two rounds while going the distance and dropping Fury, Ngannou is still picking the Manchester fighter to come out on top.

    The former UFC and PFL heavyweight champion shared his prediction in a recent interview with The Schmo, explaining that Fury’s technical boxing skills give him a slight edge over Joshua, even factoring in what Ngannou himself experienced against each man.

    “If I have to favor somebody it’s going to be very slight. I will go for Fury, because he is very slick. He does well with professional boxing, he only doesn’t understand when it’s not a pro boxer.”

    Ngannou attributed his own success against Fury in part to the unorthodox nature of his MMA training, suggesting the movement and style he brought to that fight posed problems Fury was simply not accustomed to solving. Joshua, by contrast, is a conventional heavyweight boxer, which plays more into Fury’s strengths.

    The fight was announced on Monday after years of negotiations between the two British heavyweights, with the bout set for later this year on Netflix. Joshua is expected to make it through a tune-up fight in Riyadh this summer before the two finally meet. The pair have been rivals for well over a decade and shared a sparring session in their younger days, but have never met in an official professional bout.

    Ngannou returns to the cage on May 16 at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood against Philipe Lins on the first ever MVP MMA card on Netflix.

  • Eddie Hearn Calls Zuffa Boxing ‘Visionless’ After Six Months: ‘All We’ve Seen Is Five Shows With a Load of Randoms’

    Eddie Hearn Calls Zuffa Boxing ‘Visionless’ After Six Months: ‘All We’ve Seen Is Five Shows With a Load of Randoms’

    Eddie Hearn has turned Dana White’s own language against him, calling Zuffa Boxing visionless after White spent months making the same accusation against established boxing promoters.

    Speaking to Fight Hub TV, Hearn reflected on how his relationship with White has changed since the UFC boss entered boxing with Zuffa Boxing and began publicly attacking rival promoters, including Matchroom.

    “He’s always been unbelievably courteous to me,” Hearn said. “It is what it is, I don’t have anything personal to say about him and it’s just a business and a fight, but this one is out of the ring. It’s Matchroom vs Zuffa, and I love it. It’s a buzz. Everyone is talking about Eddie and Dana fighting but the real fight is the business.”

    The two men used to have a cordial relationship, with Hearn having attended UFC events as White’s guest. That changed when White launched Zuffa Boxing and began targeting boxing’s promotional establishment with broad criticism about a lack of vision. Hearn is now pointing to Zuffa Boxing’s early track record as evidence that the accusation applies in the opposite direction.

    “I don’t think they know what they’re doing in boxing. Where’s the league? We’re six months in and all we’ve seen is five shows with a load of randoms on it. You’re stuck in the Apex still, are you gonna come out of there and do anything creative?” Hearn said.

    He also suggested White operates in a bubble that prevents him from accurately assessing what the rest of the industry is doing. “Every time he opens his mouth he talks about me, which is brilliant for my profile over here in America. I don’t really think he knows what’s going on in terms of what other people are doing because they’re so arrogant they just think what they do is the only thing happening.”

    White has teased plans to take Zuffa Boxing to the UK and has recently signed Conor Benn to a multi-fight deal, though the promotion has staged all of its events to date at the Meta APEX on the UFC campus.

  • Darren Till Spells Out Why MMA and Boxing Are Completely Different Sports Ahead of His BKFC Debut

    Darren Till Spells Out Why MMA and Boxing Are Completely Different Sports Ahead of His BKFC Debut

    Darren Till has a clear message for any MMA fighter who thinks their striking background translates seamlessly into boxing: it does not.

    Speaking on The Ariel Helwani Show on Tuesday, Till was direct about the gulf between the two sports, drawing on his own experience transitioning from MMA to the squared circle and the eye-opening realization of what genuine boxing skill actually looks like up close.

    “The thing with boxing anyways — you need to understand this, right? — all of us MMA fighters, right, if we switch over, we go, ‘Well, I’ve done boxing,’” Till said. “No you haven’t. You’ve done boxing for MMA. What does that mean? You’ve been in a wide stance, you don’t throw close-quarters shots. MMA and boxing are two completely different sports. They’re altogether — the movements, the head movement, the way you move, the way you step — it’s just so far away from MMA.”

    Till made his boxing debut against Luke Rockhold last August and announced on Tuesday that he will compete in BKFC against Aaron Chalmers on May 30 in Birmingham, England. Despite building a modest boxing resume, he is under no illusions about how far the discipline extends beyond what MMA prepares fighters for.

    He also addressed the question of whether UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall, his British countryman, could succeed in boxing if he chose to make the move. Till acknowledged Aspinall’s striking ability while being honest about the ceiling.

    “I’ve seen Tom, but I’ve only seen Tom box for MMA. Can Tom box? Yeah. Will he be world heavyweight champion? Probably not. But if he makes a lot of money, who gives a f***?” Till said. He added that anyone making the transition would need to start from scratch on the fundamentals. “You’ve got to start from the basics — the footwork, to how you use your jab, to how you work inside and stuff like that.”

    The history of MMA fighters crossing over to boxing backs up Till’s assessment. Nate Diaz lost his boxing debut to Jake Paul. Anderson Silva edged a faded Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. before losing to Paul himself. Conor McGregor was comprehensively outclassed by a 40-year-old Floyd Mayweather. Francis Ngannou had his moments against Tyson Fury before being stopped by Anthony Joshua in their second meeting.

    Till fought in the UFC from 2015 to 2023 and holds a career MMA record of 18-5-1. His BKFC debut against Chalmers takes place May 30 in Birmingham.