Shakur Stevenson vows to beat top lightweights one by one

Shakur Stevenson says he will beat every top lightweight once his Zuffa Boxing deal puts them in front of him. The featherweight wants to become the sport's number one pound-for-pound fighter.

“Line them up, one by one, and I'll beat all the top guys once I get them in front of me. With Zuffa Boxing, I'm going to go after the biggest fights in the sport and I will become the number one pound-for-pound fighter in the world.”

— Shakur Stevenson, via BBC Sport

What Shakur Stevenson said

Stevenson recently signed with Zuffa Boxing, the UFC parent company's new promotional venture. The American has been calling for fights with the division's biggest names but has struggled to land opponents willing to face him. His new backers bring heavyweight promotional reach to those negotiations.

What it moves

Stevenson now has a platform that can deliver the matchups he wants. Whether the top lightweights accept his challenge will determine how quickly he can climb the pound-for-pound ladder. His confidence suggests he expects Zuffa to force those fights sooner rather than later.

Source: bbc.co.uk. Full Shakur Stevenson fight history and recent news at boxingnews.com.