Shakur Stevenson leaves Zuffa Boxing and launches own promotional company

Shakur Stevenson is a free agent after Zuffa granted his release request, and says he will stay at lightweight and super-lightweight rather than move up to welterweight for now.

Shakur Stevenson is setting up his own promotional company after leaving Zuffa Boxing, little more than three months after his signing with Dana White's outfit was announced in July.

The departure costs Zuffa arguably the biggest name on its roster, although the company still promotes Conor Benn and Jai Opetaia. Stevenson had been linked with a number of opponents since joining but never had a fight confirmed.

In a video on his YouTube channel, Stevenson said he had spent around eight weeks in camp preparing for fights he had been told would happen, none of which went ahead. He called it the business of boxing, and said Zuffa granted his release request over the weekend, making him officially a free agent.

Stevenson said: “I’m not mad at anyone or pointing any fingers, but upon all of these issues and things that have been going on, I requested to be released from Zuffa Boxing.” He said he was now taking his career into his own hands and was willing to work with other promoters and anyone else serious about his career. He plans to campaign at lightweight and super-lightweight for the foreseeable future, and said: “I want the biggest and best fights available at 135lbs or 140lbs where I hold my title.” That rules out a potential welterweight fight with Devin Haney any time soon. Stevenson insisted he would eventually move up to 147lbs as he bids to become the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world, but on his own timetable.

He said: “Give it a year or two and we will get to 147lbs where everybody is pressing me to be there.”

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