Dana White 'Finalizing' Massive Shakur Stevenson Deal
Per SI's Chris Mannix, Shakur Stevenson is finalizing a Zuffa Boxing deal — Dana White's first prime-age pound-for-pound signing. Here's what it means for the sport.
NEWARK, NEW JERSEY - MAY 08: UFC President and CEO Dana White is seen on stage during the UFC Freedom 250 press conference at Prudential Center on May 08, 2026 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC) Zuffa LLC Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannix reports junior welterweight champion and pound-for-pound contender Shakur Stevenson is "finalizing" a deal with Dana White's Zuffa Boxing. If this is true, White will have secured one of the pound-for-pound best fighters in the world to his growing stable of fighters, and he'll also have an obvious premier matchup at 147 pounds between Stevenson and new-signee Conor Benn .
Key Facts at a Glance Reporter: Chris Mannix, Sports Illustrated Status: "Working towards finalizing" per Mannix — not yet officially signed Stevenson's Record: 25-0 (11 KOs) Current Titles: WBO and Ring Magazine junior welterweight (140 lbs) Last Fight: Defeated Teofimo Lopez 119-109 at MSG, January 31, 2026 Previously Reported Offer: $60 million for three fights (Stevenson dismissed in March) Zuffa Boxing Run By: Nick Khan, fronted by Dana White, bankrolled by Saudi Arabia Other Recent Zuffa Signings: Conor Benn ($15M one-fight), Jai Opetaia, Richardson Hitchins What Did Chris Mannix Report About Shakur Stevenson? Mannix's reporting frames Stevenson as "working towards finalizing a deal" with Zuffa Boxing, with multiple sources telling SI that Zuffa's guaranteed money proved too significant for Stevenson to ignore despite competing offers. The reporting represents a meaningful shift from March, when Stevenson publicly dismissed a rumored $60 million three-fight offer on the Night Cap podcast.
The reporting also notes Zuffa is willing to work with boxing's sanctioning bodies for top stars even as the promotion publicly positions itself against the WBO/IBF/WBA/WBC sanctioning structure. That carve-out matters for Stevenson, whose WBO and Ring Magazine titles are currently the most marketable assets attached to his name. Why Is This Deal Significant?
If finalized, Stevenson would become Zuffa Boxing’s first true pound-for-pound, prime-age signing. White has spent 2025 and early 2026 stocking the roster with a mix of over 90 fighters, but most signings have been midlevel talent or veterans like Jai Opetaia. Stevenson is a different category entirely — a 28-year-old four-division world champion who just delivered a 119-109 masterclass over Teofimo Lopez at Madison Square Garden.