Zuffa Boxing and Sky Sports sign broadcast deal that includes five events in the UK

Sky Sports and Zuffa Boxing have announced a new multi-year deal, confirming Sky as the UK and Irish broadcaster for all Zuffa Boxing events.

Zuffa 5, which will be topped by the junior lightweight battle between Andreas Cortes and Eridson Garcia in Las Vegas, marks the first show that Sky will broadcast as part of the deal on April 5.

On top of their American output, Zuffa Boxing's Dana White, who bought the UFC in 2001 and then transformed MMA, will stage at least five shows per year in the UK, with the first card being targeted for May.

“It’s not rocket science; we want to put on the best possible fights with the best fighters in the world,” White told Sky Sports. “Everyone is undefeated in boxing. That’s going to change over the next couple of years.

“If you look at how the UFC was built, I took everything that I loved about boxing and everything that I hated about boxing, when building that business. If it worked so well for the UFC, it should work even better for boxing.”

White added that he is hoping to produce a product that appeals to a younger demographic and that, while in the UK, he has held meetings with several fighters about joining a roster that already includes Conor Benn and Jai Opetaia.

“We will continue to sign, not only the best fighters in the world,” White said, “but fighters that we believe have the potential to be world champion some day.

“Over the last 10 years boxing has been very European, and here in the UK. There has been a decline in the United States. Our goal is the build in the no-brainers: The United States; UK; Australia; Mexico. That’s what we’re focusing on.”

Sky Sports’ Chief Officer UK & Ireland, Jonathan Licht, said: “Sky Sports has been a long-standing partner to boxing for more than 30 years. Zuffa Boxing has exciting plans for the sport, and we share that same ambition when it comes to putting on the best fights for our customers. We look forward to a new era where we’ll use our platform to both build stars and showcase elite boxing talent here in the UK and internationally.”