Conor Benn’s next move raises questions after signing new Zuffa Boxing deal

British boxer Connor Benn has signed a new multi-fight deal with Zuffa Boxing, expanding his partnership with the group led by Dana White and Turki Alalshikh. The announcement on Friday came just days after Benn defeated Regis Prograis by unanimous decision at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on April 12.

The 10-round catchweight bout marked Benn’s first appearance under Zuffa since leaving Matchroom Boxing earlier this year. The new deal confirms his long-term commitment to the promotion after a short-term deal which reportedly paid him £11.19 million for the Progress fight.

Strong start builds long-term Zuffa commitment

Ben’s performance against Progress was instrumental in securing a new deal. He controlled the fight in all 10 rounds and won by clear decision on the scorecards. The result improved his professional record and brought Zuffa Boxing early success in the sport.

The April 12 event attracted attention as one of Zuffa’s first major boxing shows. Benn’s victory showed that he could operate in a high-profile setting outside the traditional campaign structure. It also supported Zuffa’s aim of holding competitive matchups with recognized names.

After the fight, Ben confirmed his new deal. “Yeah guys, I just signed a new multi-fight deal that I’m very, very excited about. Our visions are the same; our goal is the same: to win world titles, but, more importantly, to give the people the fights they want. Mega fights. If you guys want it, you guys can get it,” he said.

Dana White also confirmed the agreement. White said, “Conor and I signed a new deal after his one-fight deal. We’re excited to have him. We’re ready for some big fights.” His statement reinforced Zuffa’s focus on staging major bouts as part of its long-term planning.

Deal sets new direction by separating from Matchroom

Benn’s decision to remain with Zuffa follows his departure from Matchroom Boxing, which is led by Eddie Hearn. The move ended a long-standing relationship and moved Ben away from the traditional UK boxing structure.

His first deal with Zuffa was a single-fight deal. The new agreement expands that arrangement into a multi-conflict commitment. Reports indicate that the deal may involve several fights over several years, although the exact terms have not been publicly confirmed.

The deal places Ben among the premier fighters on Zuffa’s growing roster. The promotion aims to establish itself as a dominant force in boxing by holding events on larger platforms and focusing on high-profile matchups.

Ben turned professional in 2016 and is undefeated by no contest against Chris Eubank Jr. His recent win and new deal mark an important step in his career as he continues to pursue a world title.

Zuffa Boxing is still in its early stages, but the company has moved quickly to sign notable fighters. Ben’s decision to proceed with his deal confirms his role in that scheme. The announcement Friday adds another development to the ongoing changes in boxing promotions as new organizations look to compete with established names.

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Dogley Wilberforce is a boxing writer for SportsNaught, covering fight news, fighter reactions and major bouts in the sport… More about Dogley Wilberforce

#Conor #Benns #move #raises #questions #signing #Zuffa #Boxing #deal

Dana White’s Zuffa Boxing signs historic multi-year Sky Sports deal

Zuffa Boxing has signed a multi-year broadcast deal with Sky Sports, marking a major change in how boxing will be shown in the United Kingdom and Ireland.

The agreement, announced on March 18, 2026, ensures that all Zuffa Boxing events will be broadcast live on Sky Sports, as well as being available on Streaming Now. The deal includes a commitment to stage a minimum of five events each year in the UK. This comes less than two months after Zuffa Boxing held its first show. The promotion is backed by TKO Group Holdings, Saudi company Sela and Chairman Turki Alalshaikh.

Zuffa Boxing is expanding rapidly with major support

Zuffa Boxing launched earlier this year and has already held four events at the Meta Apex in Las Vegas. The promotion includes leadership from Dana White and Nick Khan.

The initial fight card included top names such as Jay Opetia. Fighters such as Umar Dzembekov and Efe Ajagba scored knockout wins during those events.

The promotion also made headlines outside the ring by signing Connor Bain from Matchroom Boxing. That move ended Benn’s long link with promoter Eddie Hearn and signaled Zuffa’s intention to compete at the top level of boxing.

Sky Sports deal ends long Matchroom era

The deal with Sky Sports ends Matchroom Boxing’s long-standing exclusive relationship. Sky has broadcast boxing for over 30 years, covering major bouts involving stars such as Frank Bruno, Mike Tyson and Anthony Joshua.

Dana White said the deal reflects the importance of the UK market.

“The UK has played such an important role in the history of boxing. The fans there are some of the most loyal and passionate in the world. When you talk about boxing in that region, Sky Sports has always been the home of legendary boxing bouts. There is no bigger or better platform to showcase the best boxing in the UK. This is a huge milestone for Zuffa Boxing.”

Sky Sports chief executive UK and Ireland Jonathan Licht also spoke about the deal.

“Sky Sports has been a long-term partner of boxing for over 30 years. Zuffa Boxing has exciting plans for the sport, and we share the same ambition when it comes to bringing the best fights to our customers. We look forward to a new era where we will use our platform to create stars and showcase elite boxing talent here in the UK and internationally.”

First event and 2026 schedule confirmed

The first event under the new deal will be Zuffa Boxing 05: Cortes vs. Garcia on April 5, 2026 at the Meta Apex in Las Vegas.

Andres Cortes will face Aridson Garcia in the main event. On the undercard, Mark Magsayo faces Feargal McCrory.

Zuffa Boxing will release its full 2026 schedule in the coming weeks. The plan includes at least five events in the UK under the Sky Sports agreement.

#Dana #Whites #Zuffa #Boxing #signs #historic #multiyear #Sky #Sports #deal

达纳·怀特 (Dana White) 的祖法拳击 (Zuffa Boxing) 与天空体育签署具有里程碑意义的多年协议

祖法拳击 (Zuffa Boxing) 与天空体育 (Sky Sports) 签署了一份多年转播协议,标志着英国和爱尔兰拳击赛事的转播方式发生了重大变化。

该协议于 2026 年 3 月 18 日宣布,确保所有祖法拳击赛事都将在天空体育频道直播,NOW 也提供流媒体直播。该协议包括承诺每年在英国至少举办五场活动。距离祖法拳击 (Zuffa Boxing) 举办首场演出还不到两个月。此次促销活动得到了 TKO Group Holdings、沙特公司 Sela 和董事长 Turki Alalshikh 的支持。

祖法拳击在大力支持下迅速扩张

Zuffa Boxing 于今年早些时候推出,并已在拉斯维加斯的 Meta APEX 举办了四场比赛。此次晋升由达纳·怀特 (Dana White) 和尼克·汗 (Nick Khan) 领导。

早期的战斗卡包括杰伊·奥佩塔亚 (Jai Opetaia) 等顶级人物。奥马尔·德泽姆别科夫 (Umar Dzembekov) 和埃菲·阿贾格巴 (Efe Ajagba) 等拳手在这些赛事中取得了淘汰赛的胜利。

此次晋升还成为了拳击场外的头条新闻,签约了来自 Matchroom Boxing 的康纳·本 (Conor Benn)。这一举动结束了本恩与发起人埃迪·赫恩的长期联系,并表明祖法拳击公司有意参加顶级比赛。

天空体育的交易结束了漫长的比赛场时代

与天空体育的协议结束了 Matchroom Boxing 的长期独家合作关系。天空电视台已经直播拳击比赛 30 多年,报道了弗兰克·布鲁诺、迈克·泰森和安东尼·约书亚等明星的重大比赛。

达纳怀特表示,这笔交易反映了英国市场的重要性。

“英国在拳击史上发挥着举足轻重的作用。那里的球迷是世界上最忠诚、最热情的。当你谈论该地区的拳击时,天空体育一直是传奇拳击比赛的发源地。没有更大更好的平台来展示英国最好的拳击。这对祖法拳击来说是一个巨大的里程碑。”

天空体育英国和爱尔兰首席官乔纳森·利希特也谈到了该协议。

“三十多年来,天空体育一直是拳击运动的长期合作伙伴。Zuffa Boxing 对这项运动有令人兴奋的计划,我们也有同样的雄心,为我们的客户提供最好的拳击比赛。我们期待着一个新时代,我们将利用我们的平台在英国和国际上培养明星并展示精英拳击人才。”

第一场活动和 2026 年日程已确定

新协议下的首场赛事是 ZUFFA BOXING 05:科尔特斯 vs 加西亚,将于 2026 年 4 月 5 日在拉斯维加斯 Meta APEX 举行。

主要赛事是安德烈斯·科尔特斯 (Andres Cortes) 对阵埃里德森·加西亚 (Eridson Garcia)。底牌方面,马克·麦格萨约 (Mark Magsayo) 对阵费格尔·麦克罗里 (Feargal McCrory)。

祖法拳击将在未来几周内发布 2026 年完整赛程。该计划包括根据天空体育协议在英国举行的至少五场赛事。

#达纳怀特 #Dana #White #的祖法拳击 #Zuffa #Boxing #与天空体育签署具有里程碑意义的多年协议

粉絲們呼籲 UFC 做出改變,新圖片顯示價值 7000 萬美元的 Meta Apex 將如何購買 Dana White 的 Zuffa Boxing 1

Meta Apex 即將舉辦 Dana White 的首次 Zuffa 拳擊比賽。

Zuffa Boxing 是由 UFC 首席執行官 White 和沙特拳擊主席 Turki Alalshikh 領導的一項新推廣活動,週五在拉斯維加斯 Meta Apex 舉行了首場表演。

卡勒姆·沃爾什和卡洛斯·奧坎波

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卡勒姆·沃爾什 (Callum Walsh) 對陣卡洛斯·奧坎波 (Carlos Ocampo) 是周五《Zuffa Boxing 1》的主要賽事圖片來源:蓋蒂

卡勒姆·沃爾什 (Callum Walsh) 和卡洛斯·奧坎波 (Carlos Ocampo) 之間的超次中量級對決成為 UFC 旗下競技場《Zuffa Boxing 1》的頭條新聞。

Apex 於 2018 年被 UFC 以 4000 萬美元的價格購買,三年後又斥資 3000 萬美元進行了翻修,使其成為最先進的設施。

上週,作為與馬克·扎克伯格的科技巨頭達成的具有里程碑意義的冠名權協議的一部分,Apex 更名為所有品牌,將 Meta 納入其中。

Zuffa Boxing 1 的門票在位於拉斯維加斯 UFC 總部附近的 Apex 歷史上首次向公眾出售。

該場地通常用於舉辦 UFC 格鬥之夜活動,八角籠周圍通常只有朋友和家人。

然而,正如 MMA Junkie 的 Ken Hathaway 在 X 上發布的新圖片所示,Meta Apex 現在將允許最多 1,000 名參與者參加未來的比賽。

粉絲們呼籲 Meta Apex 也將 UFC 格鬥之夜活動的粉絲納入其中

MMA 界的成員在回應這些照片時表示,他們希望在 UFC 中看到同樣的情況。

一位粉絲在 X 上寫道:“他們必須為 UFC 比賽保留這種設置。人們不會那麼討厭 Apex。”

#粉絲們呼籲 #UFC #做出改變新圖片顯示價值 #萬美元的 #Meta #Apex #將如何購買 #Dana #White #的 #Zuffa #Boxing

卡勒姆·沃爾什 (Callum Walsh) 對陣 卡洛斯·奧坎波 (Carlos Ocampo):日期、開始時間、底牌以及如何觀看祖法拳擊 (Zuffa Boxing) 的首場比賽

卡勒姆·沃爾什 (Callum Walsh) 和卡洛斯·奧坎波 (Carlos Ocampo) 是達納·懷特 (Dana White) 首屆祖法拳擊賽事的主角。

沃爾什將自己的不敗紀錄置於危險之中,他將迎戰祖法拳擊隊 Z01 卡上的 41 場比賽的墨西哥人。

卡勒姆·沃爾什在擂台上對陣小費爾南多·巴爾加斯

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近年來,沃爾什在這項運動中得到了懷特的認可圖片來源:蓋蒂

沃爾什上一次比賽時,在卡內洛·阿爾瓦雷斯對陣特倫斯·克勞福德的底牌比賽中,他以一致判定戰勝了小費爾南多·巴爾加斯。

奧坎波是一位經驗豐富的競選者,僅被小埃羅爾·斯彭斯擊敗過, Sebastian Fundora 和 Tim Tszyu 迄今為止已參加 41 場比賽。

墨西哥人在自己的祖國對陣有限的對手時連續三場比賽獲勝,但他希望給達納·懷特(Dana White)最長久的拳擊前景帶來重擊。

沃爾什將在就職法案中尋求一份聲明,懷特表示他支持在這項運動中統治世界的合適人選。

祖法拳擊隊的首張卡片被計劃作為 2026 年首場 UFC 賽事——帕迪·平布利特 (Paddy Pimblett) 對陣賈斯汀·加瑟傑 (Justin Gaethje) 的前奏,該賽事將於一天后舉行。

沃爾什 vs 奧坎波:日期和觀看地點

沃爾什對陣奧坎波的比賽將於 1 月 23 日星期五在拉斯維加斯 UFC Apex 舉行。

所有的動作都將在美國的派拉蒙+上直播,粉絲們可以作為常規派拉蒙+訂閱的一部分觀看。

截至撰寫本文時,針對英國球迷的轉播信息尚未得到證實。

#卡勒姆沃爾什 #Callum #Walsh #對陣 #卡洛斯奧坎波 #Carlos #Ocampo日期開始時間底牌以及如何觀看祖法拳擊 #Zuffa #Boxing #的首場比賽

達納·懷特 (Dana White) 首次簽約,不敗的世界冠軍加入祖法 (Zuffa)

祖法拳擊公司 (Zuffa Boxing) 與 IBF 輕量級冠軍賈伊·奧佩塔亞 (Jai Opetaia) 達成聯合促銷協議。

這標誌著由 UFC 主席達納·懷特 (Dana White)、沙特拳擊主席圖爾基·阿拉什赫 (Turki Alalshikh) 和 WWE 總裁尼克·汗 (Nick Khan) 領導的新貴晉升的重大勝利。

賈伊·奧佩塔亞 (Jai Opetaia) 慶祝他的輕量級金腰帶

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奧佩塔亞 (Opetaia) 是 IBF 和直系輕量級冠軍圖片來源:蓋蒂

交易條款尚未披露,但目前尚不清楚 Opetaia(29-0)是否會在 Zuffa Boxing 旗下獨家參加比賽。

奇怪的是,Opetaia 的聯合發起人 Tasman Fighters 發布的新聞稿還附有一張海報,上面印有粗體字樣“Road To Undisputed”。

祖法拳擊隊一心要無視四個制裁機構,並大力推動《穆罕默德·阿里復興法案》在國會獲得通過,以便建立自己獨立的世界冠軍頭銜和排名。

奧佩塔亞一直在尋求與其他200磅冠軍的統一戰,但沒有成功,並在他的宣布視頻中表達了成為無可爭議的冠軍的堅定願望。

傑滴

“我現在在祖法拳擊隊,”奧佩塔亞說。 “我對未來充滿信心。

“激動人心的時刻,伙計。讓我們越線進行這些大戰:統一併且無可爭議。我們走吧。”

既然他已經與懷特聯手,實現他的夢想有多容易還有待觀察,懷特上週在接受采訪時告訴斯蒂芬·A·史密斯,“我將擺脫制裁組織。”

話雖這麼說,懷特還聲明他不會與任何其他推廣商合作,只是與塔斯曼戰鬥機隊達成聯合推廣協議。

#達納懷特 #Dana #White #首次簽約不敗的世界冠軍加入祖法 #Zuffa