Zuffa Boxing: Redefining Pound-for-Pound Greatness

Richardson Hitchins and Edgar Berlanga have joined the roster of Zuffa Boxing, according to reporting from Bad Left Hook. The additions come as the promotion continues to expand its athlete base and implement a new structural model for professional boxing.

The fighters expressed confidence in the new partnership, with one stating, With Zuffa Boxing in my corner, I’m going to show the world that I am a pound-for-pound, generational fighter. The report further noted that Zuffa Boxing is changing the game, reflecting the promotion’s intent to disrupt traditional boxing operations.

A League-Style Approach to Boxing

Zuffa Boxing is designed as a league-style system rather than a traditional promotional entity. This model is inspired by the structure that established the UFC as a global leader in combat sports, aiming to restore competitive coherence to a sport that has historically been fragmented.

The promotion seeks to address what UFC CEO Dana White has described as a broken system. According to the organization, the current state of professional boxing suffers from an industrial and communicative crisis characterized by four major sanctioning bodies, multiple belts per division, and unclear rankings.

To resolve these issues, Zuffa Boxing is implementing several core principles:

• An eight-division system to simplify weight classes and competition.
• A single internal ranking system to replace fragmented external lists.
• Seasonal or cyclical competition formats.
• Mandatory fights based strictly on ranking positions.
• The elimination of interim titles.

The goal of these changes is to ensure that every fight carries weight within a structured system, moving away from isolated negotiations that the promotion argues often prioritize convenience over merit.

Leadership and Strategic Partnerships

Zuffa Boxing was formed through a partnership between TKO Group Holdings and Sela, a leading entertainment conglomerate. The promotion is led by a management team that includes UFC president and CEO Dana White, Nick Khan, president of WWE and TKO board member, and Sela managing director and CEO Dr. Rakan AlHarthy.

The venture is heavily backed by Turki Alalshikh, the chairman of the General Entertainment Authority of Saudi Arabia and owner of The Ring. Alalshikh has stated that the vision for the promotion is to redefine how viewers consume boxing and to ensure the sport continues to thrive by increasing accessibility to exciting matchups.

Media Rights and Event History

In January 2026, Zuffa Boxing entered into a long-term media rights agreement with Paramount. Under this deal, Paramount+ serves as the exclusive streaming and TV partner for the promotion. The agreement includes the streaming of 12 boxing cards on Paramount+ throughout 2026, with the possibility of select events being broadcast on CBS.

This partnership coincides with a broader agreement where Paramount+ and CBS became the exclusive home of the UFC in January 2026 via a seven-year deal valued at $7.7 billion.

Zuffa Boxing has already begun executing high-profile events. The promotion previously organized the super middleweight title fight between Canelo Alvarez and Terence Crawford at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. The promotion’s inaugural event featured a middleweight bout between the undefeated Callum Walsh and former title contender Carlos Ocampo at the Meta Apex in Las Vegas.