Zuffa Boxing is already nearing 100 active fighters on its growing roster and continues to pick up steam seemingly on a daily basis.
The upstart promotional company – co-founded by Riyadh Season head Turki Alalshikh and UFC president Dana White - took to social media to flex its virtual muscle over the rapid progress made in just a short amount of time. A post on Tuesday revealed the 93 fighters currently signed to Zuffa, with former title challenger Feargal McCrory and second-generation boxer Shane Mosley Jnr among the most recent rostered boxers.
“We’ve been busy,” Zuffa’s social team posted, accompanied by a graphic of its signed athletes.
The addition of Mosley and McCrory come on the heels of the recent higher profile signings of lineal, RING and IBF 200lbs champion Jai Opetaia, former WBC 126lbs titlist Mark Magsayo and – in a move that blew up the internet last Friday – England’s Conor Benn, the proud fighting son of former two-division titlist Nigel Benn who stunningly split from Matchroom Boxing for at least his next fight.
Of the 94 rostered boxers, more than half (48, to be exact) have already made their official Zuffa debut within the company’s first three shows. The remaining boxers will have the opportunity to enjoy their first fight under new representation somewhere among Zuffa’s next three events, already scheduled through May.
Australia’s Opetaia, 29-0 (23 KOs) is due to defend his cruiserweight championship versus Brandon Glanton, 21-3 (18 KOs), atop the March 8 Zuffa Boxing 04 event from Meta APEX in Las Vegas. The intimate venue has served as the host for the opening trio of Zuffa events as well, with the series as a whole streamed live on Paramount+.
Magsayo, 28-2 (18 KOs) is expected to face Belfast’s McCrory, 17-1 (9 KOs) on the yet-to-be-announced Zuffa Boxing 05 card, tentatively slotted for April 5 at a location to be determined.
McCrory will enter the crossroads bout just more than a year from his March 2025 victory over Keenan Carbajal at Madison Square Garden in New York City, nine months after a knockout defeat to then-WBA 130lbs titlist Lamont Roach Jnr in June 2024. The 33-year-old southpaw already made his way to Vegas for his onboarding process and, of course, to train at the UFC Performance Institute.
Magsayo's signing was confirmed during the February 15 Zuffa Boxing 003.
As previously reported by BoxingScene, Zuffa is also planning an event on May 10 (Mother’s Day in the U.S.), though further details weren’t immediately available.
Details on Mosley's debut with Zuffa was not yet confirmed, though likely to come on any of the abovementioned open dates. The fighting son of Hall of Fame former three-division champ Shane Mosley Snr is coming off a competitive defeat to Jesus Ramos Jnr last December 6 in San Antonio, Texas.
Zuffa’s launch event took place on January 23 at Meta APEX. Ireland’s Callum Walsh topped the inaugural show, albeit in a pedestrian win over former title challenger Carlos Ocampo.
Drastic improvements – in pacing and entertainment value – were provided in the second and third installments.
Zuffa Boxing 02 took place on February 1. It marked its first Sunday event, the night of the week on which the series has since comfortably settled.
The event also produced a Fight of the Year candidate, as Serhii Bohachuk outlasted Radzhab Butaev over 10 furious rounds. The show’s opener saw Radivoje “Hot Rod” Kalajdzic rally from two knockdowns and a massive scorecard deficit to twice floor and ultimately knock out former lineal 175lbs champ Oleksandr Gvozdyk in the 7th round.
The February 15 show – Zuffa Boxing 03 – remains the most talked about, to date.
The night of early finishes including the leading contender for Knockout of the Year – courtesy of Umar Dzambekov’s right uppercut from hell to flatten Ahmed Elbiali in the 2nd round of their light heavyweight affair. Dzambekov, 14-0 (10 KOs) blitzed past the prospect phase and straight onto the contender stage with the win.
His feat was bookended by a pair of early knockout wins. Jaybrio Pe Benito, 7-0 (5 KOs) upset Abel Mejia, 10-1 (7 KOs) via 3rd round stoppage in their battle between unbeaten lightweights. The heavyweight main event saw Efe Ajagba twice floor IBF titlist Charles Martin, whom he stopped in the 4th round.
Bohachuk and Dzambekov both came up through 360 Promotions, founded by Tom Loeffler who plays an integral nuts-and-bolts role in the still progressing series.
March 8 will provide another watershed moment, as the Opetaia-Glanton main event will crown the first-ever Zuffa champion.
Opetaia is already The Ring cruiserweight king. The unbeaten Aussie is now poised to become the first “unified” champ between those two worlds which share a common link – Alalshikh, by far the sport’s most powerful figure. Alalshikh owns The Ring and is a key stakeholder in Zuffa.
Even with Tuesday’s flex, it’s hardly the end of the signing spree for Zuffa. Already teased are more heavyweights to be added to the roster; former unified titlist Andy Ruiz Jnr has already openly professed his allegiance, though Zuffa has yet to officially announce the union.
