Zuffa Boxing is reportedly targeting a high-stakes matchup between Devin Haney and Shakur Stevenson as a cornerstone for its 2026 expansion.
Reporting from Sean Zittel on June 4, 2026, indicates that sources close to the situation claim both former world champions have agreed to join the new promotional outfit, though an official announcement has yet to materialize.
While Zittel reported that Devin Haney and Shakur Stevenson have agreed to terms, neither fighter has publicly confirmed a deal.
The reported development comes amid mixed signals from both camps. Shakur Stevenson has repeatedly pushed back against claims linking him to Zuffa Boxing, and his team has not officially responded to Zittel’s latest report.
Despite these denials, other industry voices like Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated have suggested Stevenson is in the final stages of a deal. Former promoter Eddie Hearn also stated on June 1, 2026, that Stevenson appeared headed to the new promotion.
Devin Haney’s status is equally buzzed about, with UFC President Dana White recently referencing social media and a “hit list.” Bill Haney, Devin’s father and manager, posted a cryptic message regarding a new deal worth over $100 million before his son turns 30. While these reports gain traction, Haney’s immediate boxing landscape remains active.
To understand how promotional shifts impact other fighters, look at how Rolando Romero’s title elevation changed the trajectory for Shakhram Giyasov and Jack Catterall.
Zuffa Boxing moves to disrupt the promotional model
Zuffa Boxing launched in January 2026 as a joint venture between TKO Group Holdings and Saudi Arabia’s Sela. The promotion is positioning itself as an alternative to the traditional governing bodies that have long dominated the sport. Unlike Matchroom or PBC, Zuffa Boxing will not recognize the IBF, WBA, WBC, or WBO.
Instead, the company plans to utilize Ring Magazine’s rankings and its own Internal “Zuffa belt” to determine champions.
This operational structure would allow a Haney-Stevenson fight to proceed without being derailed by mandatory obligations from the four major sanctioning bodies. Currently, Keyshawn Davis has been installed as the mandatory challenger for Haney’s WBO welterweight title. Under the Zuffa model, such designations could be bypassed entirely, as the promotion focused on its own championship structure consisting of eight weight divisions.
The company has already demonstrated quick growth, signing nearly 100 fighters and staging five events at the Meta APEX in Las Vegas by early May 2026. TKO Group Holdings President Mark Shapiro and Dana White have outlined an ambitious schedule of 12 to 16 events this year.
This includes “super fights” and international cards, such as the upcoming June 6 event in Bournemouth and an August 8 show in Dublin.
Weight class disputes remain a hurdle for the matchup
While the promotional alignment appears to be moving forward behind the scenes, the mechanics of a fight between Devin Haney and Shakur Stevenson face weight-class hurdles. Bill Haney has been firm on the terms, stating that if Shakur wants the fight, he must meet Devin at the 147-pound welterweight limit.
Bill Haney emphasized that they are not willing to move back down in weight for the contest.
Shakur Stevenson, an unbeaten four-division champion with a 25-0 record, has suggested a middle ground. Stevenson recently expressed interest in a catchweight of 144 pounds. His co-manager, J. Prince, noted that while Stevenson is willing to move up from the 135-pound lightweight limit, he is not ready for 147 immediately.
Stevenson’s camp believes he needs to bulk up properly before competing at a full welterweight limit.
These disagreements over weight and terms often mirror the contract disputes that stalled the Fury-Joshua fight in the past. However, the financial scale of Zuffa Boxing, which has secured a media rights deal with Paramount+, might provide the necessary leverage to finalize terms.
For fighters of this caliber, the lure of a marquee event on a major platform often outweighs regional title defenses or mandatory status.
The competitive landscape for Haney and Stevenson
Devin Haney enters these negotiations with a professional record of 33-0 and 15 knockouts. He last competed in November 2025, securing a unanimous decision over Brian Norman Jr. While Haney’s team is pushing for the Stevenson fight “now,” Stevenson has more variables at play.
He was stripped of his WBC lightweight belt in February 2026 but remains a top-tier attraction after his victory over Teofimo Lopez earlier this year.
Both fighters have spent years being linked to one another, often trading barbs over past sparring sessions and social media posts. If Zuffa Boxing succeeds in signing both, it would unite two of the sport’s most technically sound athletes under one banner.
This would echo the UFC’s centralized model, a shift Dana White has often hinted at, claiming that “everybody’s going to be here at Zuffa Boxing eventually.”
Beyond this specific rivalry, the promotion is diversifying its roster. After Jai Opetaia became the first Zuffa Boxing titlist in March 2026, the company has added names like Conor Benn, Edgar Berlanga, and Chris Billam-Smith.
The addition of Haney and Stevenson would represent the promotion’s most high-profile signings to date, potentially setting the stage for one of the biggest fights below the heavyweight division in recent years.
Global expansion and future broadcast plans
Zuffa Boxing is not limiting itself to the American market. Dana White has recently described boxing as a “European sport” from a commercial perspective. This shift has led to new agreements with Sky and a focus on venues in the United Kingdom and Ireland. By expanding internationally, the promotion seeks to tap into established boxing fanbases while utilizing the marketing machine of TKO Group Holdings.
Fans eager for more action are also tracking other veteran names in the sport, including those expecting a comeback from Andy Ruiz Jr. as the heavyweight landscape shifts. For Zuffa, the goal is to create a consistent schedule on Paramount+ and CBS, ensuring that their 100-fighter roster stays active across their eight confirmed divisions.
If the official announcement for Haney vs. Stevenson arrives “in the near future” as Zittel’s sources suggest, it would solve the problem of promotional fragmentation that often plagues the sport. By housing both athletes, Zuffa Boxing would control the matchmaking, the belt, and the broadcast, effectively streamlining the process of making one of the most anticipated fights in boxing right now.
