Zuffa Boxing's Struggles Exposed After Shakur Release

Zuffa Boxing's early returns have been far from the oil-money dominance Dana White promised when the UFC parent company entered the sport. Bad Left Hook managing editor Scott Christ tackled the promotion's shaky start in his latest mailbag, calling out both sides after Shakur Stevenson's reported release from his Zuffa contract.

The lightweight star signed for a big payday expecting major fights that never materialized, per Christ's assessment. Stevenson called out welterweights while negotiating catchweights and rehydration clauses instead of moving up, which may have frustrated Zuffa's matchmaking efforts. Still, the promotion managed to deliver Conor Benn against Ryan Garcia with Golden Boy, raising questions about why they couldn't land anything meaningful for Shakur.

White's Limitations Negotiating With Veteran Promoters

Christ wrote that White is "finding boxing a little bit tougher of a go than he anticipated," citing the UFC boss's months-long claims about promoting Tyson Fury versus Anthony Joshua that never came to fruition. The veteran sharks who run boxing are proving harder to outmaneuver than White expected. "These other promoters still have teeth, and White isn't used to fighting off the back foot," Christ noted.

Zuffa spent heavily on Benn with little to show for it beyond one Garcia fight. Jai Opetaia remains their other significant signing. The promotion lacks the brand pull in boxing that UFC carries in MMA, making it difficult to convince stars to sign.

On Fabio Wardley's future after back-to-back losses, Christ pushed back against retirement talk for the 31-year-old heavyweight. Wardley took up boxing late and lacks the lifelong drilling that extends most careers, but Christ cautioned fans are too quick to write off athletes concerned with preserving their own memories of a fighter's legacy. Potential next opponents include Johnny Fisher, Guido Vianello, or Otto Wallin as Wardley resets at domestic level.

Christ also previewed a potential Jaron Boots Ennis fight with Sebastian Fundora at 154 pounds, calling it a clash of flawed but talented fighters. He sees Boots' slight edge in meanness as the difference maker. Vergil Ortiz fell out of the conversation after taking a Keith Thurman fight at 160 that does nothing to move the needle.

Reported via:

• Bad Left Hook — Boxing Mailbag: Zuffa’s mixed results, Fabio’s future, more