Zuffa Boxing's Biggest Stars After Shakur Stevenson's Signing

Dana White's Zuffa Boxing just made its biggest signing to date in bringing four weight-world champion Shakur Stevenson on board to join its growing roster of elite boxers.

The organization, as we know it, is still in its infancy, but since White decided to dedicate more of his massive pool of resources to it with the support of the de facto boxing boss, Turki Alalshikh, they have made some impressive moves, signing some marquee names.

The first of these names with true star power was Conor Benn, whom White stole from Eddie Hearn and Matchroom Boxing. It was a reported one-fight deal worth $15 million, setting the organization's intentions and showing that no fighters are off-limits in their attempt to take over the sport. They have since signed Benn to a multi-fight deal to remain with the organization.

White hopes to implement his UFC-style structure in his new vision for professional boxing. There will only be one champion in every division, with a list of the top ten ranked contenders, all of whom will fight under the same promotion - eliminating cross-promotion negotiations but also potentially preventing fighters from getting the best deal for themselves.

Whether or not those signing for Zuffa Boxing are there because they buy into the refreshed structure or because White is offering them sums of money that would be foolish to turn down remains to be seen when it all comes out in the wash over the coming years. But let's run through the biggest stars and champions Zuffa have managed to lure to the dark side as it were.

Conor Benn

Conor Benn was one of Zuffa's first signings to turn heads. Benn left his long-term promoter and friend Eddie Hearn in favor of the dollar signs behind Zuffa. Hearn had lent money to and helped rebuild Benn's reputation after his doping scandal in late 2022 and felt betrayed by Benn upon his departure.

Benn, a natural welterweight, twice ventured up to middleweight to fight his cross-generational family foe, Chris Eubank Jr, and the pair ended up splitting the spoils with one win apiece. We last saw him fight in April of this year when he beat former super lightweight champion Regis Prograis by unanimous decision in his Zuffa debut.

Benn has not fought at welterweight since 2022, but it seems his next fight will be against Ryan Garcia for his WBC welterweight title - that is, if his signing with Zuffa does not get in the way. Dana White and Garcia's promoter Oscar De La Hoya have been in a bitter feud since White entered boxing, but for all the fans sake, and everyone's pockets, hopefully they can get the fight made.

Jai Opetaia

Jai Opetaia was the first champion to join Zuffa, signing in January. This caused controversy as Dana White had said that he was planning to move forward without the traditional sanctioning body's belts, but Opetaia held the IBF cruiserweight belt and did not want to part ways with it.

His first fight with the promotion was against contender Brandon Glanton and it looked a though it would be sanctioned by the IBF, until a last-minute change of heart saw them strip him of his belt for the second time. Opetaia has retained his Ring magazine belt due to the links between Zuffa and The Ring Magazine owner Turki Alalshikh.

It is still uncertain if Opetaia will be given the chance to fight for a traditional world title again or if he will have to settle with The Ring belt and the Zuffa Boxing belt he won by comfortably defeating Brandon Glanton in his debut at Zuffa Boxing 04.

Richardson Hitchins

Richardson Hitchins signed with Zuffa in April as the IBF super lightweight champion and the second reigning world champion to make the move away from the trodden path. Hitchins had a short reign as champion, only defending the belt once, knocking out George Kambosos Jr in June 2025 after taking the title from Liam Paro in late 2024

Hitchins is scheduled to make his Zuffa debut on July 26 against Ricardo Salas at welterweight after vacating his super lightweight title, no doubt in search of a fight with Devin Haney. If Hitchins had tried to hang on to his title whilst having a fight under the Zuffa banner, it tracks that he, as Opetaia did, would have had his title taken by the IBF.

Shakur Stevenson

Stevenson is the most recent but easily the biggest signing that Zuffa Boxing has made so far. The American is a four-weight world champion and is ranked as the third-best pound-for-pound fighter in the world by The Ring. Whilst Opetaia, Hitchins and Benn are all at least world title level operators, signing one of the faces of boxing today is White's biggest statement to date.

The Olympic silver medallist is coming off two career-best wins against Teofimo Lopez and William Zepeda to cement himself as one of the best operators in the world right now. It is undecided when Stevenson will make his debut for Zuffa, but he said he only wants big fights and the rumors circulating are that he is looking at either Gervonta 'Tank' Davis or Haney.

Oleksandr Usyk?

Whilst Oleksandr Usyk is not officially signed with Zuffa Boxing, there have been reports that he is entertaining offers from various players after he vacated his heavyweight titles in pursuit of a last dance before his retirement.

Usyk is a promotional free agent and has the privilege to be able to sign short-term contracts with whomever he likes and can fight anyone that he likes without the politics of the belts and sanctioning bodies weighing him down.

Eddie Hearn recently said that, to the best of his understanding, Usyk wants to fight former WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder next to cement his legacy as the best of this era. Usyk was also pictured having a meeting with White and Alalshikh recently. If he is shopping around for the biggest and best offers for him to fight Wilder, then he won't find much bigger than those two.

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