The undefeated pound-for-pound star had been one of the marquee signings for Dana White’s newly launched boxing venture, generating massive excitement across the combat sports world. Upon signing, Stevenson had immediately been linked to a series of high-profile, blockbuster matchups for his promotional debut, with names like Devin Haney, Gary Antuane Russell, and even boxing legend Manny Pacquiao swirling in discussions as potential opponents.
However, if any of those major fights do eventually materialize and make it to the ring, it will not happen under the Zuffa Boxing banner. Stevenson revealed the dramatic shift in his career trajectory during the week, confirming that his time with the promotion is completely over before he ever laced up a pair of gloves for them.
"I requested to be released from Zuffa Boxing. Now, over the weekend, my request has been granted, and now I am officially a free agent," Stevenson said, shedding light on the sudden departure.
The undefeated champion explained that the primary catalyst for his exit stemmed from mounting frustration over delays and inactivity. Despite remaining intensely focused and putting in the grueling work required at the elite level, the fights he was promised simply failed to materialize.
"I’ve been in camp for like eight weeks, preparing for fights that I was told was going to happen and have not happened," Stevenson elaborated. "It is what it is. This is the business of boxing. I’m not mad at anyone, I’m not pointing fingers."
The situation naturally drew intense scrutiny from the media and the wider boxing community, prompting questions for Dana White during a recent UFC press conference. When asked directly about the circumstances surrounding the sudden release of one of the sport’s most talented athletes, White offered a concise and straightforward response.
"I offered him the release," White stated.
The promoter was then pressed by reporters on whether the drastic split occurred because Stevenson had proven to be difficult to work with during their brief tenure together. White, choosing to take a diplomatic approach to the delicate business situation, dismissed any notions of lingering animosity and emphasized that both parties ultimately reached a mutual understanding.
"Listen, man, I think that everyone involved in it is happy with where we’re at with it. I’ve nothing bad to say about him or his team. I offered him the release and they accepted," White said.
"We never even did one fight with the guy. We were in business with him for a couple months. Listen, I’m not going to get into all this. I’m not gonna say anything negative about him… We got to a position where we both agreed we were cool with the release."
Despite White’s measured public stance, the collapse of the partnership has not gone unnoticed within the industry. Predictably, White has come under fire from rival promoters who have weighed in critically on how the high-profile partnership played out and dissolved before producing a single event. The scrutiny highlights the turbulent nature of boxing promotion and the immense challenges of entering the sport’s complex promotional landscape, even for a seasoned combat sports mogul like White.
As for what lies ahead, Stevenson is wasting no time charting his own course in the sport. Rather than immediately signing with another established promotional powerhouse, the undefeated star has announced that he is launching his own promotional outfit. By stepping into the promotional side of the business himself, Stevenson intends to work across the board to secure the major fights that fans are clamoring to see, maintaining total control over his career and ensuring that his future training camps translate directly into active, high-stakes nights inside the ring.
