140 champion Shakur Stevenson signs multi-fight deal with Zuffa
4-division titlist becomes company's highest-profile fighter so far
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Lineal and WBO junior welterweight champion Shakur Stevenson, one of boxing’s elite pound-for-pound fighters, has signed a multi-fight promotional contract with Zuffa Boxing, it was announced on Thursday, confirming a recent Fight Freaks Unite report.
Stevenson is the highest-profile signee so far for Zuffa Boxing, which put on its first event in January to kick off its long-term contract with Paramount+ and also includes fighters such as lineal cruiserweight champion Jai Opetaia and welterweight contender Conor Benn on its roster.
“Line them up, one by one, and I’ll beat all the top guys once I get them in front of me,” Stevenson said. “With Zuffa Boxing, I’m going to go after the biggest fights in the sport and I will become the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the world.”
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In his last fight, then-WBC lightweight titleholder Stevenson (25-0, 11 KOs), 29, a southpaw from Newark, New Jersey, moved up to junior welterweight and rolled to a one-sided decision — 119-109 on all three scorecards — against Teofimo Lopez to take his 140-pound crown on a Ring magazine card on Jan. 31 at Madison Square Garden in New York.
Stevenson, a 2016 U.S. Olympic silver medalist, is a four-division titleholder, having also won belts at featherweight, junior lightweight (where he unified) and lightweight. After the resounding victory against Lopez he became a promotional free agent and his negotiations with Zuffa Boxing were an open secret in the business.
Zuffa Boxing head Dana White, who has long said his goal was to sign the best fighters in the world, was pleased to sign him.
“Shakur is one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world,” White said. “He’s 29 years old, undefeated and already a four-division world champion. This is a massive signing for Zuffa Boxing, and I’m looking forward to promoting this next fight.”
Stevenson’s first fight of the new deal “will be announced in the coming weeks,” Zuffa Boxing said. However, it would not be a surprise if he was matched with former WBA junior welterweight titlist Jose Valenzuela (16-3, 10 KOs), 27, a southpaw from Mexico fighting out of Renton, Washington.
Valenzuela, who is also with Zuffa Boxing, has fought twice so far for the company, having had those bouts at lightweight. He notched a near-shutout 10-round decision over Diego Torres on Feb. 1 and a second-round knockout of Edwin De Los Santos in a rematch to avenge a third-round knockout loss in 2022 on June 28.
After the rematch with De Los Santos, who also counts a 2023 decision loss to Stevenson for the vacant WBC lightweight title on his record, Valenzuela said he next wanted to fight Stevenson.
“Styles make fights,” Valenzuela said in the ring. “I‘m a real fighter and he’s a boxer. I believe (Stevenson’s) kryptonite is a fighter like me.”
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Stevenson photo: Cris Esqueda/Matchroom Boxing
“He’s 29 years old, undefeated and already a four-division world champion. This is a massive signing for Zuffa Boxing, and I’m looking forward to promoting this next fight.” - zuffa doesnt recognize all those divisions dana...
Shakur is the modern day Sweet Pea Whitaker. For better or worse. A #1 P4P Talent that makes his opponent put in all of the honest effort for an entertaining fight. Are any of the alphabets gonna mandate anything that helps Shakur and Zuffa out? Hell, will Zuffa even be able to get his stablemate Conor Benn to face him eventually? This was the only legitimate bag being offered, and Shakur took it. Congrats. Rayo vs Shakur will be Blockbuster business no doubt.