Shakur Stevenson confirms Zuffa signing, targets October debut

Shakur Stevenson will fight on both Ring and Zuffa Boxing cards after completing his move to the Dana White-backed promotion.

The WBO lightweight/" class="internal-link text-bone underline decoration-ash/30 hover:decoration-gold underline-offset-2">super lightweight champion told Ariel Helwani that he expects to appear across both brands as part of the deal, drawing a parallel to Conor Benn's recent crossover fights. "I'm pretty sure I'll be on Ring cards and Zuffa cards," Stevenson said, per Bad Left Hook. "It just depends. Dana and Nick is with Turki so just as Conor Benn was able to fight on a Ring card, I should be able to do the same."

Stevenson turned down DAZN offer before Zuffa move

Stevenson revealed that DAZN made a late run at signing him with what he called a substantial offer, but timing worked against the streaming platform. He did not field proposals from many other promoters before committing to Zuffa. The Newark native expects his promotional debut to land in October, with Devin Haney emerging as the preferred opponent at a catchweight of 144 pounds. Stevenson said he has verbally agreed to the October date and told Zuffa to finalize his end of the contract.

His status with the WBO remains uncertain. Stevenson said he hopes the sanctioning body allows him to continue holding and defending the belt under the new promotional arrangement, though he acknowledged the decision rests with them. He made clear he has no interest in competing for a WBC title, saying he is content to pursue Zuffa, WBO, IBF, and WBA straps instead.

Zuffa has not formally announced the Haney fight or confirmed the October timeline.

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• Bad Left Hook — ‘Pretty sure I’ll be on Ring and Zuffa cards’: Shakur Stevenson talks about new deal