Zuffa Boxing

Last updated

Zuffa Boxing
Industry Boxing promotion
Predecessor Zuffa, LLC
FoundedJune 2025;2 months ago (June 2025)
Founder
Headquarters
Las Vegas, Nevada
,
United States
Key people
 Ari Emanuel (CEO & Executive Chairman, TKO)
Turki Al-Sheikh (Chairman, GEA)
Dana White (Promoter)
Owner TKO Group Holdings

Zuffa Boxing is a planned professional boxing promotion company founded by CEO of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Dana White and Chairman of the General Entertainment Authority (GEA) Turki Al-Sheikh. The promotion is ran through a partnership of Sela and TKO Group Holdings (TKO), and is based in Las Vegas, Nevada. [1]

Contents

The promotion is scheduled to promote its inaugural event, a fight between Canelo Álvarez and Terence Crawford, on September 13, 2025, at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. [2]

History

In August 2017, following the high-profile boxing match between MMA fighter Conor McGregor and boxing champion Floyd Mayweather Jr., Dana White announced his intention to enter the world of professional boxing under the "Zuffa Boxing" brand. [3] White suggested that the existing boxing promotion landscape was "broken" and needed a centralized, promoter-driven model similar to the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), of which White was then president. Despite media attention and the sale of branded merchandise, Zuffa Boxing's launch was repeatedly delayed. [4] [5]

On June 18, 2025, Dana White officially announced that the UFC's parent company TKO Group Holdings (TKO) would enter the boxing industry under the Zuffa Boxing name, reviving the brand White had originally teased in 2017. The announcement was made public through an interview with Sports Business Journal in which White reiterated that Zuffa Boxing aimed to apply the UFC's promotional model to professional boxing. [6] The branding of TKO's boxing venture as "Zuffa Boxing" was confirmed by additional outlets the following day. [7] [8]

Shortly after the announcement, it was revealed that TKO would be the lead promoter of the super middleweight fight between Canelo Álvarez and Terence Crawford, scheduled for September 13, 2025, at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. The bout, which will stream globally via Netflix, was organized in partnership with Saudi entertainment company Sela with the backing of Turki Al-Sheikh, Chairman of the General Entertainment Authority of Saudi Arabia. On June 23, 2025, The Ring Magazine formally announced that the Canelo vs. Crawford fight would serve as the inaugural event under the Zuffa Boxing banner. [9] [10]

Events

On June 23, 2025, it was announced that the new boxing promotion partnership between Turki Al-Sheikh, TKO, and Sela will be under the "Zuffa Boxing" name. [11] The inaugural Zuffa Boxing event will be Canelo Álvarez vs. Terence Crawford – Once In A Lifetime on September 13, 2025 at Allegiant Stadium.

EventDateVenueMain EventNotes
Canelo Álvarez vs. Terence Crawford – Once In A Lifetime September 13, 2025 Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas, Nevada Canelo Álvarez vs. Terence Crawford

References

  1. ↑ Johnston, Mike (March 5, 2025). "Dana White, Turki Alalshikh announce new TKO Group boxing organization". Sportsnet.ca. Retrieved August 7, 2025.
  2. ↑ "CANELO ÁLVAREZ TO FACE TERENCE CRAWFORD IN BLOCKBUSTER RIYADH SEASON SHOWDOWN SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 13 IN LAS VEGAS, STREAMING LIVE GLOBALLY ON NETFLIX". UFC. Archived from the original on July 23, 2025. Retrieved August 7, 2025.
  3. ↑ "UFC prez White seeks boxing promoter license". ESPN.com. November 8, 2017. Retrieved August 7, 2025.
  4. ↑ Harkness, Ryan (November 8, 2017). "Dana White: The UFC Is '100% Getting Into Boxing'". MMAmania.com. Retrieved August 7, 2025.
  5. ↑ Woods, Michael (October 5, 2019). "Dana White talks Zuffa potentially buying PBC, boxing's 'broken model'". Bad Left Hook. Retrieved August 7, 2025.
  6. ↑ "Callum Walsh Ready To Cash In His Ticket, Become Face Of Zuffa Boxing". RingMagazine.com. June 20, 2025. Retrieved August 7, 2025.
  7. ↑ Stern, Adam (August 7, 2025). "Dana White: TKO's new boxing venture to be named Zuffa Boxing". Sports Business Journal. Retrieved August 7, 2025.
  8. ↑ LaMar, Robert (June 20, 2025). "Zuffa Boxing Is Born". Dice City Sports. Retrieved August 7, 2025.
  9. ↑ Martin, Damon (July 23, 2025). "TKO Boxing approved for promoter's license in Nevada, Canelo vs. Crawford official for Sept. 13". MMA Fighting. Retrieved August 7, 2025.
  10. ↑ "CANELO ÁLVAREZ TO FACE TERENCE CRAWFORD IN BLOCKBUSTER RIYADH SEASON SHOWDOWN SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 13 IN LAS VEGAS, STREAMING LIVE GLOBALLY ON NETFLIX". UFC. Archived from the original on July 23, 2025. Retrieved August 7, 2025.
  11. ↑ "Dana White: TKO's new boxing venture to be named Zuffa Boxing". Sports Business Journal. June 23, 2025. Retrieved June 23, 2025.
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