Shakur Stevenson has announced that he has been granted his release from Zuffa Boxing, before once again fighting for the promotion’s controversial new promotion.
On Monday, Stevenson posted a video on his YouTube channel, speaking to the camera and sharing the details of his release – which comes just three months after he signed with Zuffa.
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Zuffa, the leader of Dana White and Arabian champion Turki Alalshikh from the UFC, entered the fight in January and declared his desire to remove the traditional belt system, introducing his championship.
Then the new signing of Jai Opetaia to strip him of his IBF cruiserweight title, and generally hyped, as did the signing of Conor Benn in February; The British star has left longtime promoter Eddie Hearn for rival White, in a reported one-fight deal worth a reported $15m, despite Hearn’s support of Benn’s two-year drug test saga.
The third major Zuffa signing was Stevenson, who is considered one of the best pound-for-pound boxers in the world, but the American has already left Zuffa.
“I worked my ass off, staying focused, staying in shape,” the 29-year-old said on YouTube. “I was in the camp, like eight weeks to prepare for the fights that I was told was going to happen and it didn’t happen. But you see what this business is boxing.
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“I’m not mad at anyone, I’m not pointing fingers, but with all these things and things that are going on, I asked to be released from Zuffa Boxing.
Stevenson trained Teofimo Lopez in January to become a four-weight world champion (Getty)
“Now over the weekend, my request was granted, and I am officially a free author. This time, I want to tell the fans and tell everyone that it is in public that I now take my life in my hands and start my own company. And I want to work with other authors and other others that are there that want to be so serious about my career”.
Stevenson appears to be alluding to his collapsing bout with Patriots Devin Haney, which was Stevenson’s first bout since his points win over Teofimo Lopez in January. That win kept Stevenson undefeated and made him a four-weight world champion, when he picked up the WBO super-lightweight belt.
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Although Stevenson said he was “pointing no fingers”, a video featuring Hearn in which the British promoter appeared to mock White over this latest development.
Hearn, who previously promoted Stevenson, was nominated for the dance by fellow Matchroom colleague Frank Smith, who posted the video: “The mood now [laughing emoji] what’s your #bodyofwork”.
The words refer to White’s criticism of Zuffa by saying that promotion should be judged on his “body of work” – especially at the end of 2016.
Zuffa Boxing co-founder and UFC president Dana White (Brian Lawless/PA)
The Zuffa fights have included Benn’s second stop under their banner, after the initial deal was extended by one fight. Benn, who made his Royal Prograis debut at Zuffa, was dropped by Ryan Garcia in the second round of their title fight in September.
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“I’m just excited,” Stevenson continued in his video. “I’m excited at this point, I’m excited to start a new journey, and the mission is still the same: I want the biggest and best fights available at 135lb or 140lb, where I hold my title.”
“It doesn’t matter the name, it doesn’t matter who you put in front of me; none of these guys can beat me. I say give it maybe a year or two, we’ll get to 147, where everyone insists I’m a threat at 147. I’ll get there, but it’s my time, and no one else’s.”