The former WBC cruiserweight world champion expressed concerns about White’s understanding of boxing, suggesting that a background in mixed martial arts did not automatically translate to success within the established boxing structure.

“Dana White is an embarrassment from a boxing standpoint,” Bellew said on “Fight Your Conner” and “Stomping Ground.”

“When someone speaks the boxing language, it’s like speaking a foreign language, right? You immediately know if someone can speak the language.

“When you can’t talk about the whole card you’ve got, it’s perilous. If you can’t name the entire card and all your players, you are playing the wrong sport.

White officially launched Zuffa Boxing in 2025 under the TKO Group banner in partnership with Saudi-backed Sela.

After promoting the Canelo Alvarez-Terence Crawford event in September 2025, Zuffa Boxing has expanded its performance schedule into early 2026.

Despite his criticism, Bellew was quick to acknowledge White’s achievements in the UFC.

“I say this about a man who I have a lot of respect for and admire for what he has done and what he has built in the UFC because I am a UFC fan,” Bellew said.

“I am full of admiration.”

White has previously outlined ambitions to bring elements of the UFC model to boxing, including a more structured promotion system and a consistent calendar of events aimed at making fighters recognizable stars.

However, Bellew believes the conventional structure of boxing makes this approach problematic, especially when it comes to fighters.

“I care about the fighters and what they’re doing to them, and what they’re going to do to the fighters is wrong in every way.

“The main thing they don’t care about is the fighters,” Bellew said.

Zuffa Boxing promoted the Canelo Alvarez-Terence Crawford event in September 2025 and then expanded to a wider variety of shows in 2026. Since then, the company has continued to expand its lineup while increasing the frequency of its events in the United States and abroad.

Shakur Stevenson has assessed Conor Benn’s boxing skills, insisting that the 29-year-old never actually wanted to fight him as it now looks like he will face Ryan Garcia instead.

Benn jumped into the ring shortly after Stevenson scored a unanimous decision over Teofimo Lopez in January, giving the impression that he really wanted to face the four-division world champion.

However, according to Stevenson, “The Destroyer” was never willing to entertain their potential meeting, which is why he is now pursuing a clash with Garcia.

The pair are expected to fight for Garcia’s WBC welterweight title later this year, depending on how Zuffa Boxing handles cease and desist letter sent by Golden Boy.

Oscar De La Hoya’s promotional team maintains that Garcia, who is reportedly still under contract, could not have entered into negotiations without their consent.

However, Benn still has a chance to win the world title considering he is the mandatory challenger for the WBC 147-pound title.

The Ilford man secured and maintained that position with back-to-back wins over Chris Eubank Jr and Regis Prograis in November and April respectively.

However, Stevenson said that when it comes to his world-class qualifications The whole fight against smoke That he believes Benn’s commercial influence explains why he is the No. 1 contender for the WBC.

“We reached out and said, ‘Let’s do it.’ I heard that from people very close to him [fight] is not what they really want.

“As a fighter, he is at a lower level [me]. But what I will say about Conor Benn is that he is very focused and he is getting better – he is not just staying in the same place.

“I think Conor Benn is a great businessman – he’s a low-level player making top-shelf money. [Regarding the weight difference]you have to realize that Conor Benn is not some super-big guy. It is very petite.

If Garcia faces Benn, it will be his first world title defense since dethroning Mario Barrios by unanimous decision in February.

Tim Bradley believes the growing connections between Devin Haney, Shakur Stevenson and Zuffa Boxing have less to do with avoiding certain opponents and more to do with the extraordinary financial opportunities currently available in the sport.

Speculation about Haney and Stevenson potentially joining Dana White’s boxing venture has increased in recent weeks, with both fighters having no long-term promotional commitments.

“No one will be able to pay them that amount. It doesn’t matter, wherever else they go, they won’t make that kind of money,” Bradley said on his YouTube channel.

“We remember and we go back to the time when PBC was founded, they were overpaying the players. Eddie Hearn is on DAZN and they started overpaying the players. It’s a period right now for these players, especially at the highest level, if they want to make money on the book, this is the perfect opportunity now.”

“With that in mind, this is why I see Haney and Shakur Stevenson signing on that dotted line,” Bradley said. “How they do it is another matter. How they arrange the contract will be another matter.”

“You only make money like this once in a lifetime. This is a great opportunity for both of these guys because of the type of life-changing money they will receive.”

Stevenson fulfilled his promotional obligations with Matchroom earlier this year after previously leaving Top Rank, leaving the WBC lightweight champion without a formal promoter. Meanwhile, Haney has largely pursued his career alongside his father, Bill Haney, having previously worked with both Matchroom and Top Rank.

Any move involving Haney could still be complicated by his position as the WBO welterweight champion. The sanctioning body recently confirmed that his mandatory against top contender Keyshawn Davis is next, despite discussions about other potential fights.

Dan Ambrose is a boxing journalist at Boxing News 24, respected for his direct analysis and extensive coverage of the global fight landscape. His reports focus on the most critical fights, division development and the most discussed stories in sports.

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Last update: 2026/06/12 at 3:22