Boxing

Dana White Signs Top 10 Heavyweight For Zuffa Boxing With Promotional Debut Set

Dana White has added a notable heavyweight name to the Zuffa roster ahead of the promotion's boxing debut.
Donal Long|
Dana White
Dana White | IMAGO / Inpho Photography

Dana White is set to shake up the boxing world in 2026 as he officially launches a new promotion in the sport.

Zuffa Boxing is set to hold its first even on January 23 as the UFC president takes his first steps into the combat sport. The event is understood to be headlined by Irishman Callum Walsh, who has a strong affiliation with White, as he takes on Carlos Ocampo.

The show will take place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, a small indoor arena where the MMA promotion hosts occasional 'Fight Night' events.

UFC CEO Dana White
IMAGO / PRiME Media Images

Although White's boxing league was understood to be focusing on younger fighters with large potential, it has been reported that the promotion has signed a top heavyweight contender.

Zuffa Boxing sign number 8 ranked Efe Ajagba

Boxing journalist Dan Rafael has reported that White's Zuffa Boxing has completed the signing of Efe Ajagba following his departure from Top Rank.

The Nigerian fighter has a professional record of 20-1-1 (14 KOs), with Ajagba currently ranked as the number eight heavyweight in the world, according to Ring Magazine.

Ajagba last fought in May 2025, when his bout with fellow heavyweight contender Martin Bakole ended in a majority draw in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The only loss on Ajagba's record came in 2021, when he lost to Cuban heavyweight Frank Sanchez via unanimous decision.

The former WBC Silver Heavyweight champion made his professional debut in 2017 and is currently 31 years of age.

It is understood that Ajagba will take on former world champion Charles Martin (30-4-1, 27 KOs) on February 14 in a headline bout for Zuffa boxing. The event is set to be the third official event the promotion will run.

Martin claimed the vacant IBF World Heavyweight title in 2016, when he defeated Vyacheslav Glazkov via knockout in Brooklyn, New York. However, he would drop his title just three months later against a 26-year-old Anthony Joshua.

The event is also set to take place in the UFC Apex in Nevada. All of Zuffa's boxing events will be broadcast live on Paramount+, following the UFC's seven-year partnership with the streaming service beginning in 2026.

It is currently unknown who will headline the second proposed Zuffa Boxing event. It is understood that the event will take place on January 30, with the UFC Apex being the likely venue. There is expected to be at least one Zuffa Boxing event per month in 2026.

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Donal Long
DONAL LONG

Donal Long is a boxing journalist for KO On SI, hailing from Dublin, Ireland. Prior to joining SI in 2025, Donal graduated from Dublin City University with a bachelor's degree in media production management. He has also worked on sites such as SportsJOE, GiveMeSport, The Sportster, and Bloody Knockout. Donal has been a huge sports fan for all of his life, which has seen him travel throughout Europe to attend live events.

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