Four-division champion Stevenson signs with Zuffa Boxing

“Line them up, one by one, and I’ll beat all the top guys once I get them in front of me. With Zuffa Boxing, I’m going to go after the biggest fights in the sport and I will become the number one pound-for-pound fighter in the world.” That’s Shakur Stevenson’s declaration after sealing a deal with Dana White’s promotion.

Stevenson, 29, has signed with Zuffa Boxing, the Saudi-backed outfit founded by the UFC president. It’s a major win for White’s boxing venture, still in its early stages. The promotion has already brought on British welterweight Conor Benn and Australian cruiserweight Jai Opetaia.

The undefeated four-division world champion comes with a spotless 25-0 record. His last fight was in February, when he beat Teofimo Lopez and took the WBO light-welterweight belt. Before that, he’d held world titles at lightweight, featherweight and super-featherweight.

Stevenson’s amateur credentials are equally strong. He won bantamweight silver at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, marking himself early as one of boxing’s brightest talents.

The signing shows Zuffa Boxing’s determination to reshape professional boxing. The promotion has already made headlines—Benn joined from Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom stable in February. Opetaia’s situation was different: he lost his IBF cruiserweight title after signing, part of the fallout from Zuffa’s push to change the Muhammad Ali Reform Act and operate as both promoter and sanctioning body.