Shakur Stevenson Says He Is Out of Zuffa Boxing Without Fighting

Shakur Stevenson says he has left Zuffa Boxing without fighting once for the promotion.

The 29-year-old from New Jersey said he asked for his release and it was granted over the weekend. He now calls himself a free agent, meaning he can negotiate with any promoter, according to BBC Sport.

Stevenson only signed with Zuffa Boxing in July. The split has therefore come about three months later, after a spell on the sidelines. Yahoo Sports also put the timeline at around three months.

He said he spent about eight weeks in training camp preparing for fights he was told would happen. That fight never arrived.

Talks had linked Stevenson with WBO welterweight champion Devin Haney. The WBO is one of boxing’s four major sanctioning bodies, the organisations whose belts define a world champion. Welterweight covers fighters up to 147lb.

Stevenson arrives as a proven champion. His last bout was a win over Teofimo Lopez that made him a four-weight world champion, a fighter who has won recognised world titles in four different weight divisions.

What next is already taking shape. Stevenson said he is starting his own promotional company, the business that stages fights and handles contracts, and is willing to work with other promoters. His fighting plan is to defend his WBO light-welterweight title, at 140lb, before moving up to welterweight in the coming years.

Zuffa Boxing has not commented on his stated exit. The promotion is the Saudi Arabian-backed boxing venture headed by UFC owners TKO and Dana White, and was first reported to have released Stevenson on 19 October by ESPN.

For fans, this means attention turns straight back to the ring. Stevenson has ability, belts and options, but after a frustrating autumn he needs a date, an opponent and a title defence to give his free agency real momentum.