Shakur Stevenson is no longer part of Zuffa Boxing, the boxing league run by UFC CEO Dana White. The WBO junior welterweight champion (140 lbs), undefeated in 25 fights, the 29-year-old American announced on his YouTube channel that his request to be released from his contract was accepted last weekend. The exit comes about 100 days after he was introduced as the new organization’s biggest signing, and without him stepping into the ring a single time under the company’s banner.
According to Shakur, the reason was the lack of fights. The boxer said he spent about eight weeks in training camp, keeping his weight and conditioning in check, waiting for fights he had been promised that never materialized. He made a point of saying he holds no grudges and is not blaming anyone, but that, given the problems that piled up, he chose to seek his release. Now a free agent, the champion said he will take control of his own career.
NO DEBUT: SHAKUR STEVENSON LEAVES ZUFFA BOXING AFTER NINE MONTHS ON THE SHELF AND NEGOTIATIONS THAT WENT NOWHERE
The deal with Zuffa Boxing was announced in July, a multi-fight contract whose terms were never officially disclosed, although U.S. media reported eight-figure numbers. The expectation was that bringing in an undefeated, respected champion would give an immediate boost to the project, which is tied to the group that owns the UFC and is trying to carve out space in professional boxing with the same league model that transformed MMA. In practice, the schedule never found a spot for the most valuable name on the roster.
The fight fans wanted most was against Devin Haney, Shakur’s longtime social media rival and the current WBO welterweight champion. The two even talked publicly about a catchweight deal, but Haney was obligated to face mandatory challenger Keyshawn Davis, and the fight never happened. With no opponent set, the champion has now gone nine months without fighting, since his last time in the ring was in January.
A FOUR-DIVISION CHAMPION, THE AMERICAN IS COMING OFF A WIDE WIN OVER TEOFIMO LOPEZ AT MADISON SQUARE GARDEN
Shakur’s last outing was the one that put him on top of yet another division. On January 31, at Madison Square Garden in New York, he moved up to 140 pounds and took the WBO belt from Teofimo Lopez by unanimous decision, with all three judges scoring it 119-109. With the jab and defense that have become his trademarks, he controlled the fight from start to finish and opened a cut above his opponent’s left eye in the middle rounds.
With that title, Shakur became a four-division world champion: he had already reigned at featherweight, super featherweight and lightweight. His record is 25-0 with 11 knockouts. Before turning pro, he won silver at the Rio 2016 Olympics at bantamweight, a credential that marked him early as one of the biggest prospects in U.S. boxing.
THE MAN WHO BEAT ROBSON CONCEIÇÃO, SHAKUR STEVENSON PROMISES TO FACE ANYONE AND CONSIDERS MOVING UP
Brazilian fans know the American’s style well. In September 2022, in Newark, Shakur faced Bahia’s Robson Conceição, the Rio 2016 Olympic champion, and won by unanimous decision, including a fourth-round knockdown. The fight was for the super featherweight belts, but Shakur missed weight and lost the titles on the scale, leaving the belts vacant despite his win in the ring.
Looking ahead, the plan is to launch his own promotional company, without closing the door to partnerships with other promoters willing to treat his career with the same seriousness. Shakur said he wants the biggest fights available between 135 pounds (lightweight) and 140 pounds, where he holds the belt, and does not rule out moving up to welterweight (147 lbs) in a year or two, on his own timeline. “It doesn’t matter who they put in front of me. None of these guys can beat me,” the champion warned.
As of publication, Zuffa Boxing had not commented on his departure. More news about fights and organizations beyond the mats can be found in The Mat Nation’s MMA section, which also follows Brazilians in the UFC and at the world’s top events.
This article was originally published in Portuguese: read the original version.
