When Dana White and TKO Group Holdings announced their ambitious foray into the traditional landscape of the sweet science with the launch of Zuffa Boxing, the declared objective was clear: reshape the sport’s promotional architecture, inject fresh energy into matchmaking, and create must-see events designed around competitive parity. In the promotion’s inaugural year, that venture has swiftly developed from an audacious industry experiment into an action-packed reality, delivering highlight-reel knockouts, dramatic shifts in momentum, and sustained wars of attrition inside the squared circle.
With the promotion reaching its next major milestone this Saturday in London—where Zuffa Boxing 11 is set to be headlined by an intriguing heavyweight clash between Michael Pirotton and Johnny Fisher—the promotion officially closes the ledger on its initial ten numbered shows. Over the course of those first ten installments, audiences watching on Paramount+ have witnessed a diverse spectrum of ring drama, ranging from seasoned contenders resurrecting their careers to rising prospects getting a harsh introduction to elite matchmaking.
To mark this operational milestone, we look back through the archives to identify and break down the ten best fights produced across the promotion’s numbered events to date. Notably, this assessment focuses exclusively on the numbered flagship cards, setting aside outside showcase attractions such as the high-profile standalone clash between Ryan Garcia and Conor Benn.
From grueling tests of character to historic comeback knockouts, here is the official breakdown of the top ten fights from Zuffa Boxing’s first ten shows.
No. 10: Tony Hirsch Jr. def. Robert Meriwether III — Zuffa Boxing 05
Prospects in the modern boxing ecosystem are often carefully curated, protected from significant stylistic adversity until late into their developmental arcs. When Robert Meriwether III entered the ring at Zuffa Boxing 05, the narrative around him suggested a budding franchise player in the making. Meriwether had made an immediate splash on the promotion’s debut card, securing a decisive victory, capturing a performance bonus, and pushing his pristine professional record to 10-0.
Tony Hirsch Jr. was presented as the requisite test—a tough, experienced opponent brought in to gauge how Meriwether would handle a step up in competitive pedigree. What transpired was a classic case of taking too large a leap too soon. Hirsch walked into the contest completely unawed by Meriwether’s promotional momentum. Rather than being outboxed or overwhelmed by athletic flair, Hirsch instituted a composed, steady attack rooted in fundamental sharpness.
From the opening round, Hirsch exposed a recurring vulnerability in Meriwether’s defensive guard, repeatedly timing and landing a heavy right hand. While that signature shot proved to be his primary weapon, Hirsch demonstrated that his skill set went far beyond a single punch, mixing his cadence and commanding the ring’s geography. Meriwether deserved praise for his grit; faced with sudden adversity, the young fighter never retreated into a shell or looked to quit. Yet determination alone could not overcome Hirsch’s tactical superiority, as the veteran dictated the pace and swept the scorecards to deliver one of the most stunning early upsets in the promotion’s young history.
No. 9: Andreas Katzourakis def. Misael Rodriguez — Zuffa Boxing 06
Stylistic matchups are the lifeblood of compelling boxing, and the middleweight showdown between Andreas Katzourakis and Misael Rodriguez at Zuffa Boxing 06 possessed all the hallmarks of a fan-friendly confrontation the moment contracts were signed. Both fighters stepped into the ring carrying unblemished professional records, meaning something had to give between Katzourakis’ relentless forward pressure and Rodriguez’s slicker, counter-reliant arsenal.
The action conformed exactly to expectations from the opening bell. Katzourakis adopted an uncompromising face-first approach, relentlessly pursuing Rodriguez and attempting to bury his forehead directly into his opponent’s chest to smother space and initiate trench warfare. Rodriguez, armed with sharp timing and noticeable stopping power, refused to be run over. He willingly engaged in tight quarters, landing stinging combinations and finding homes for heavy power shots that tested the integrity of Katzourakis’ chin.
What made the fight so captivating was Katzourakis’ sheer dedication to the inside game. Despite absorbing Rodriguez’s most dangerous offerings, the Greek fighter simply shook off the punishment, reset his base, and went right back to work on the inside. By denying Rodriguez the breathing room necessary to operate at his optimal range, Katzourakis gradually wore his opponent down over the championship stretch, earning a hard-fought decision in a grueling battle that delighted purists and casual fans alike.
No. 8: Efe Ajagba def. Charles Martin — Zuffa Boxing 03
Heavyweight boxing remains a distinct realm within combat sports where the entire complexion of a contest can change on the trajectory of a single punch. When Efe Ajagba signed with Zuffa Boxing after a frustrating split draw against heavyweight contender Martin Bakole, he was matched against seasoned veteran Charles Martin at Zuffa Boxing 03 to re-establish his standing in the division.
Martin, a former IBF heavyweight champion often viewed as a fleeting figure in modern title lineage, arrived prepared to seize the moment as an overlooked underdog. For the first two rounds, Martin turned back the clock, outboxing Ajagba with clever lateral movement, deceptive angles, and crisp counter-punching. Ajagba found himself uncharacteristically frustrated, forced into chasing Martin around the perimeter of the ring without an effective answer for his opponent’s evasive tactics.
The turning point was sudden and devastating. In the third round, Ajagba closed the distance and uncorked a concussive shot that sent Martin crashing to the canvas. While Martin managed to survive the frame, the momentum had entirely shifted. With his opponent’s legs visibly diminished, Ajagba pressed the advantage in the fourth round, unleashing a follow-up assault that brought an emphatic end to the contest. It was a brief, explosive heavyweight shootout that encapsulated the sudden violence of the division.
No. 7: Julian Rodriguez def. Cain Sandoval — Zuffa Boxing 01
When the lineup for the inaugural Zuffa Boxing 01 card was released, dedicated boxing observers circled the bout between Julian Rodriguez and Cain Sandoval as the matchup most likely to steal the entire broadcast. That anticipation was entirely validated through ten rounds of blistering, non-stop exchanges.
Rodriguez was on a redemption campaign, attempting to rebuild his standing in the junior welterweight hierarchy after a 2021 defeat against Jose Pedraza had derailed his previous title run. In Sandoval, he drew a ferocious, hard-charging prospect hungry to make his name on the biggest promotional stage of his life. From the outset, Sandoval marched forward behind a high guard, seeking to turn the contest into a physical brawl.
Rodriguez relied on his superior technical class, sharp counterpunches, and veteran composure to counter Sandoval’s relentless pressure, but he was forced to fight for every inch of canvas. Every time Rodriguez appeared to pull away, Sandoval roared back, refusing to let the veteran rest. Rodriguez ultimately secured a well-deserved decision victory after a ten-round war. Sandoval, meanwhile, earned immense respect in defeat, establishing his pedigree as a durable promotional mainstay—a reputation he later cemented with a landmark victory over Brandun Lee.
No. 6: Pablo Rubio def. Adan Palma — Zuffa Boxing 04
One of the strengths of the Zuffa Boxing platform has been the platform it provides for under-the-radar fighters to showcase their abilities on a major broadcast. The eight-round featherweight war between Pablo Rubio and Adan Palma at Zuffa Boxing 04 remains one of the finest examples of sudden drama produced by unheralded combatants.
Rubio commanded the early exchanges with structured boxing, working behind a measured jab and dictating the distance. The dynamic shifted entirely in the third round when Palma launched a spectacular leaping left hook that caught Rubio flush, sending him down in dramatic fashion. Sensing an immediate stoppage, Palma swarmed the stunned Rubio, landing a razor-sharp straight right hand moments later to score a second knockdown in the same frame.
Confronted with a disastrous 10-7 round on the scorecards and heavy physical duress, Rubio demonstrated remarkable mental resolve. Rather than succumbing to the onslaught, he survived the round, cleared his head between frames, and systematically rebuilt his offensive attack. Rubio gradually took back control of the center of the ring, outlanding Palma over the second half of the fight to capture a memorable decision win. That resilient performance earned Rubio a coveted undercard slot on the high-profile Ryan Garcia vs. Conor Benn card later that year, even though he would eventually come up short in a six-round decision against Oswaldo Molina.
No. 5: Shane Mosley Jr. def. Serhii Bohachuk — Zuffa Boxing 06
Carrying the name of a legendary fighting father can often feel like an insurmountable burden in professional boxing, and Shane Mosley Jr. had spent much of his career searching for a definitive, defining moment. When he was matched against the terrifying offensive force of Serhii Bohachuk at Zuffa Boxing 06, few expected Mosley to emerge victorious. Bohachuk was entering the ring fresh off an instant-classic war against Radzhab Butaev and was regarded as the heavy betting favorite.
What unfolded was a tactical masterclass from Mosley, who delivered the signature performance of his professional career. Recognizing that trying to out-slug Bohachuk would be disastrous, Mosley leaned heavily on disciplined counter-punching and thudding body shots, consistently punishing Bohachuk’s aggressive forward entries.
In the sixth round, Mosley executed the sequence that altered the trajectory of his career. Reading Bohachuk’s aggression, Mosley planted his feet and cracked the Ukrainian with a vicious counter shot that dropped him heavily to the canvas. Bohachuk managed to beat the referee’s count, but his equilibrium was severely compromised. Sensing the moment had arrived, Mosley surged forward with a relentless, unanswered combination that left Bohachuk defenseless against the ropes, prompting the referee to halt the bout. The clinical stoppage showed that Mosley had discovered an elite second act to his career under the Zuffa banner.
No. 4: Cheavon Clarke def. Jack Massey — Zuffa Boxing 07
Billed as an evenly matched cruiserweight collision, the clash between Cheavon Clarke and Jack Massey at Zuffa Boxing 07 carried genuine bad blood and evenly split betting odds. For the first half of the contest, the narrative belonged entirely to Massey, who seized command with sharp timing and physical aggression.
The fight exploded in the fourth round when Massey unleashed a crushing overhand right that detonated on Clarke’s jaw, dropping him heavily to the canvas. Clarke scrambled to beat the count, but his unsteady posture revealed significant damage. Sensing a finish, Massey moved in quickly, unleashing a thunderous uppercut that floored Clarke for the second time in the round. Clarke somehow weathered the remainder of the round through sheer instinct, making it back to his corner while looking on the verge of being stopped.
What followed was an extraordinary exhibition of resilience. Clarke slowly shook off the effects of the knockdowns, tightened his defense, and began timing Massey’s aggressive entries. In the seventh round, Clarke engineered a complete turnaround, landing a massive right hand that sent Massey hard to the floor. Unlike Clarke, Massey was unable to recover his senses under fire. As Clarke charged in to finish the job, the referee intervened to rescue Massey, concluding an unforgettable cruiserweight comeback.
No. 3: Serhii Bohachuk def. Radzhab Butaev — Zuffa Boxing 02
Long before his setback to Mosley Jr., Serhii Bohachuk was responsible for establishing the standard for high-octane violence under the Zuffa banner when he shared the ring with former world titleholder Radzhab Butaev at Zuffa Boxing 02. The pairing was tailored for non-stop action, and both combatants exceeded even the loftiest expectations.
From the opening seconds, Butaev went directly to work on the inside, attacking Bohachuk’s ribs and midsection with thudding hooks. Bohachuk, equally uncompromising, answered with an unyielding high-volume offensive barrage, refusing to concede a single step of ground. The ensuing exchanges were blistering, as both men stood toe-to-toe in the pocket, trading combinations with minimal regard for defensive preservation.
The momentum swung constantly between Butaev’s heavy inside work and Bohachuk’s relentless output. When the final bell sounded, the crowd rose in unison to celebrate a grueling, savage display of ring craft and heart. Bohachuk was awarded a razor-thin split-decision victory on the scorecards, etching his name into promotional lore with one of the most defining and exhausting fights of the early Zuffa Boxing era.
No. 2: Chris Billam-Smith def. Ryan Rozicki — Zuffa Boxing 07
There are moments when technical acumen must share the spotlight with sheer human courage, and the cruiserweight battle between Chris Billam-Smith and Ryan Rozicki at Zuffa Boxing 07 stood as an absolute testament to the limits of physical endurance. Rozicki entered the contest as a rugged challenger against the seasoned class of Billam-Smith, and he proceeded to put on an unforgettable display of heart.
Billam-Smith held the tactical advantage from the outset, landing crisp jabs, finding clean avenues for power rights, and systematically breaking Rozicki down with precise combinations. However, Rozicki refused to yield. The Canadian slugger kept marching forward into the teeth of Billam-Smith’s offense, throwing heavy counterpunches and forcing Billam-Smith to expend massive energy to keep him at bay.
As the bout wore on, Rozicki leaned into unconventional and roughhouse tactics, leading with his head in wild fashion and ultimately losing a point when the referee intervened to penalize repeated infractions. Yet the fouls did not detract from the sheer spectacle of his durability; despite absorbing an immense amount of punishment, Rozicki continued to fire back with dangerous intent.
Eventually, the accumulation of damage became impossible to ignore. Following another brutal exchange, Rozicki’s corner made the compassionate decision to protect their fighter, waving off the contest before the start of the next round. Billam-Smith took home a well-earned TKO victory, while Rozicki departed the ring with the universal respect of boxing observers worldwide for his iron will.
No. 1: Radivoje Kalajdzic def. Oleksandr Gvozdyk — Zuffa Boxing 02
The finest bout of Zuffa Boxing’s first ten numbered events remains the light heavyweight spectacle that unfolded between Radivoje Kalajdzic and former WBC world champion Oleksandr Gvozdyk at Zuffa Boxing 02. The contest served as the ultimate embodiment of how quickly a boxing match can turn on its head.
In the opening stages, Gvozdyk looked every bit like the world-class operator who had previously sat atop the 175-pound division. Moving fluidly and identifying tactical lapses in Kalajdzic’s defense, the Ukrainian Olympian dominated the pace. Utilizing punishing body combinations, Gvozdyk dropped Kalajdzic twice across the early frames, seemingly putting himself on a direct trajectory toward an early stoppage win.
Kalajdzic, however, refused to fold. Despite falling significantly behind on the scorecards and enduring sharp body punishment, he remained focused on his primary equalizer: a thunderous straight right hand. Kalajdzic began to find his target in the seventh round, testing Gvozdyk’s defensive reflexes with increasing frequency and success.
By the eighth round, the dynamic had completely shifted. A booming Kalajdzic right hand landed clean, shocking Gvozdyk and sending the former champion crashing to the canvas. Gvozdyk showed immense heart to beat the ten-count, but he was visibly unsteady. Kalajdzic closed the distance immediately, unleashing one final, devastating right hand that brought an abrupt, violent finish to the contest. It stands as the quintessential Zuffa Boxing moment: an elite contest featuring sharp momentum shifts, unyielding grit, and an unforgettable, dramatic comeback knockout.
