Shakur Stevenson’s partnership with Zuffa Boxing was temporary and unsuccessful.
Dana White’s boxing promotion launched the four-division champion without a single combat under the banner, and Stevenson is now a free agent again, he announced Monday.
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Stevenson says it was he who requested Zuffa Boxing for his release, and it was granted over the weekend.
He initially announced a multi-fight deal with Zuffa in July, thought to be price nicely into the eight figures.
Stevenson said in his YouTube announcement:
“I’ve been working my ass off, staying focused, staying in shape. I’ve been in camp for like eight weeks preparing for fights that I was told was going to happen, and it has not happened. But look, it is what it is. This is the business of boxing. I’m not mad at anyone. I’m not pointing no fingers.
“Upon all of these points and issues that’s been going on, I’ve requested to be launched from Zuffa Boxing. Over the weekend, my request has been granted, and I’m now formally a free agent.
“This time, I want to tell the fans and tell everyone in the public that I’m now taking my career in my own hands, and I’m starting my own promotional company, and I’m willing to work with other promoters and anybody else that’s out there that’s willing to be serious about my career as I am about my career.”
Stevenson, Uncrowned’s No. 4 pound-for-pound boxer, has not fought since his dominant win over Teofimo Lopez in January.
Zuffa Boxing was speaking to a number of potential opponents for Stevenson’s debut under the banner, including WBA tremendous light-weight champion Gary Antuanne Russell, but the promotion was not keen to fulfill Russell’s financial calls for — thought to be around $3 million.
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When those talks failed, consideration diverted to making an attempt to make a combat with fellow pound-for-pound boxer Devin Haney. Haney and Stevenson were in negotiations earlier this yr until Haney signed straight with broadcast company DAZN, making a Stevenson combat troublesome, as Zuffa has a contract with Paramount.
With Zuffa’s lack of ability to make a large combat for Stevenson, though, they turned keen to reignite talks for Stevenson-Haney on Nov. 28 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, a combat that would air on DAZN.
Weight, however, was a materials stumbling block in those discussions.
“At the 11th hour, after agreeing to 144 [pounds] and then 145, [Haney] had his lawyer email and say that he would only fight at 147 [pounds],” Stevenson posted on social media over the weekend. “Big waste of everybody’s time.”
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Haney claims to have agreed to combat at 145 kilos, but then says Stevenson requested for a rehydration clause, which he wasn’t keen to do.
Stevenson’s staff informed Uncrowned’s Ariel Helwani that he “has been frustrated as of late” with the direction of his profession.
Now that Stevenson enters the market again as a free agent, he may observe in the footsteps of Haney and Lopez and search for a deal straight with DAZN.
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