From promoter rivalries to the shock signing of some big names, Zuffa Boxing’s start to life in the fight game has been far from quiet.
On Saturday they host their first UK show, headlining with Briton Chris Billam-Smith in Bournemouth as they look to make their mark for the first time on this side of the Atlantic Ocean.
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Founded by UFC president Dana White and backed by Saudi Arabian funding, the new company is looking to rival the already established promoters in the sport across the world.
White is better known for his role in mixed martial arts, but has chosen to expand his sporting influence.
Zuffa Boxing made their first big noise when they snapped up welterweight Conor Benn in a dramatic move from Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom stable in February.
Since then they have continued to sign UK fighters to their roster, with some notable additions in the cruiserweight division.
On Saturday night, four of their fresh 200lb signings will be in action, with Billam-Smith facing Ryan Rozicki and Jack Massey fighting Cheavon Clarke.
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Former IBF cruiserweight world champion Jai Opetaia, who also swapped Matchroom for Zuffa Boxing, is rumoured to be fighting the winner of Saturday’s main event.
How are Zuffa doing things different?
One way in which White has pledged to change elements of the sport, is in the way they work with sanctioning bodies around the traditional belts.
So far, the promotion recognises eight weight divisions and have one Zuffa champion per weight class.
White previously said he would not use the traditional WBC, WBA, WBO and IBF titles, and this has lead to some controversy.
Opetaia was stripped of his IBF title in March after beating Brandon Glanton to become Zuffa Boxing’s first champion.
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White has said he hopes to change the Muhammad Ali Act – a 2000 US law designed to protect boxers’ rights and combat potential monopolies.
Adjustments to this could allow him to recognise a Zuffa belt as a legitimate world championship title, and remove the need to work with the other sanctioning bodies.
WBC welterweight champion Ryan Garcia said in May that he is set to fight Benn in September, although an official announcement is yet to be shared.
But White’s involvement in boxing shows has not always prevented the traditional belts from being on the line.
The American co-promoted the Canelo Alvarez v Terrance Crawford fight last year which had all four super-middleweight world titles on the line in a Ring Magazine branded show.
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Zuffa Boxing’s maiden fight week in the UK has provided an insight into how they might do things differently.
Wednesday’s news conference was much more low-key than traditional UK shows tend to be.
British-based promotions Matchroom, Queensberry and Boxxer usually live stream a broadcast, involving all of their fighters for a question and answers session early in the week to preview fight night.
Zuffa Boxing arranged for fighters to arrive at the venue to speak to individual media outlets in designated time slots, before returning to their hotels for the remainder of the day.
Friday’s ceremonial weigh-in is the only pre-fight event being broadcast live, with other celebrities and athletes also in attendance for a Q&A.
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Billam-Smith felt that Zuffa Boxing had gone above and beyond to ensure the fighters have been looked after in the week leading up to Saturday’s fight night.
“I’ve felt really valued with Zuffa,” he told BBC Sport.
“How they do things on fight week is phenomenal, they have therapists and nutritionists on site and it’s been a real eye-opener for my team.
“That’s how it should be, it’s fighter first and it feels that way. It’s a huge operation and I think all the fighters here this week will feel really valued and excited to be with such a great outfit.”
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Promoter rivalry between White and Hearn
Dana White (left) and Eddie Hearn (right) have emerged as rivals over the past six months [Getty Images]
Away from the ring, there has been a fair amount of back and forth between White and Matchroom’s Hearn since Zuffa Boxing held its first card in January.
Heated online rants have even led to the two jokingly suggesting a fight in separate interviews.
An online rivalry has also developed into the two making some moves within the business of their respective sporting arenas.
After White signed Benn and Opetaia from Hearn’s stable, the Briton responded by signing UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall to his newly formed talent agency.
Hearn has even recently called for White to release Aspinall from his UFC contract after saying the heavyweight champion is not being paid his worth.
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Billam-Smith was previously signed to Hearn’s stable, but moved to Boxxer and finally achieved his dream of fighting in Bournemouth for the first time in 2022.
He competed a further three times in his hometown and went on to win the WBO world title at AFC Bournemouth’s Vitality Stadium in 2023.
“Eddie never saw the vision of us fighting down here which is what we always wanted to do, Dana’s now doing it off the back of the previous shows,” Billam-Smith said.
Many have tried to compete with Frank Warren and Hearn over the years, but very few have enjoyed the same kind of long-term success that they have enjoyed.
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White, though, has a history of entering a sport and emerging on top – growing the UFC from obscurity to a market leader surpassing and eventually buying out rival promotions Strikeforce and Pride.
Saturday is Zuffa Boxing’s moment to plant their flag on these shores, as White attempts to establish the promotion as one of the major players in British boxing.
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