Eddie Hearn calls Shakur Stevenson's Zuffa Boxing exit an embarrassment

Eddie Hearn has mocked Dana White after Shakur Stevenson left Zuffa Boxing without a fight, claiming the promotion has not staged a show in America since July.

Eddie Hearn has turned on Dana White after Shakur Stevenson secured his release from Zuffa Boxing on Monday without ever fighting for the promotion.

Stevenson, a pound-for-pound great, was arguably the biggest signing in Zuffa's short history. Hearn told iFL TV that he had first assumed the news was a publicity stunt, until Stevenson's team contacted him. He said he did not believe any promoter in boxing history had lost its most high-profile signing before that fighter had boxed for it. Hearn and White have been feuding for much of 2026, since White moved into boxing with Zuffa, and Hearn has repeatedly said the UFC CEO's operation does not understand the sport.

Hearn linked the Stevenson setback to Conor Benn, his former fighter, who joined Zuffa and was beaten by Ryan Garcia in September. Turning to Stevenson, he said: “You sign Shakur Stevenson, and you can’t even deliver him a fight.” He added that Zuffa had not staged a show in America for five months and would not do so for another six or seven, and dismissed its cards in the UK as poor. Hearn also mocked White's call for Zuffa to be judged on its body of work by the end of the year, saying the only history the promotion had made was signing a fighter and never giving him a fight. He said: “And in the words of one of my old nemeses, I think just 10 months in, it’s all over, rover.” Hearn praised Devin Haney for opting to sign with DAZN instead and predicted that Stevenson would probably do the same. He pointed out that Haney has not boxed since November 2025 and Stevenson since January 2026, and urged the pair to fight each other rather than be drawn in by offers that leave them without a scheduled bout months after signing.

Hearn does not believe Zuffa is finished. The promotion is co-owned by Turki Alalshikh and Sela, the Saudi Arabian entertainment company, giving it the funds to stay in boxing, but he expects the Stevenson departure to be a major setback. He said: “They know nothing about boxing, they know nothing about developing the career of a fighter, and if you sign with Zuffa boxing, you might as well get your legacy, rip it up, and put it in the bin.”

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