Shakur Stevenson leaves Zuffa Boxing without a fight as Eddie Hearn mocks Dana White
The WBO super-lightweight champion, who signed with Zuffa in July, plans to set up his own promotional company after his request to be released from his contract was accepted.
Post by @ringmagazine on X
Shakur Stevenson has left Dana White's Zuffa Boxing without having a single fight for the promotion, only months after signing. His request to be released from his promotional contract was accepted after talks for a fight with Devin Haney collapsed.
The four-division world champion and reigning WBO super-lightweight titleholder joined Zuffa in July, saying the move would secure him the biggest and best fights available. He has been out of action ever since, despite being linked with several opponents. Stevenson has said he plans to start his own promotional company and will work with everyone else in the sport.
Eddie Hearn, whose Matchroom Boxing Stevenson left to join Zuffa, told iFL TV he first assumed the news was a publicity stunt. Hearn said he only believed it once Stevenson's team called and messaged him, adding that the situation was so embarrassing for Zuffa that he thought it could not be real. He said: “How can you sign your most high-profile fighter and then he leaves you without even fighting? I don’t think that, in the history of boxing, that has ever happened.”
Post by @IFLTV on X
Hearn also mocked White's promise that Zuffa Boxing should be judged on its body of work by the end of 2026. He said: “When Dana White says the history that Zuffa are going to make, the body of work that you are going to see by the end of the year, one thing that I will give to Zuffa is that they have made history there by actually signing a fighter and never giving him a fight.” He praised the Newark southpaw for forcing his way out as Stevenson looks to end his inactivity and fight again as soon as possible. Hearn said: “Fair play to Shakur Stevenson because he has had the balls to say, ‘Listen, this is not the place for me, these people don’t know what they are doing and I need to get out before my career is ruined,’.”
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