Muhammad Ali once revealed who he believed to be the pound-for-pound greatest fighter of all time.

Ali is arguably the biggest name to ever grace boxing, becoming a global cultural figure not just for what he accomplished inside of the ring, but also for his activism efforts outside of it.

He was a three-time world heavyweight champion, and claimed wins in a number of epic battles, including the ‘Rumble In The Jungle’ against George Foremanand the ‘Thrilla In Manila’ against Joe Frazier.

Ali finished with a record of 56 wins from his 61 professional bouts, and despite all of his success, Ali conceded that another man ranked above him as the number one fighter in boxing history, admitting that he feels Sugar Ray Robinson is deserving of that honour.

“That man was beautiful. Timing, speed, reflexes, rhythm, his body, everything was beautiful.

“I’d say I’m the greatest heavyweight of all time, but pound-for-pound, I still say Sugar Ray Robinson was the greatest of all time.”

Robinson competed professionally from 1940 to 1965, having a remarkable 201 fights during that time, winning 174 of them. At his peak, Robinson once had a record of 129 wins from 132 fights, with 85 of those wins coming by knockout.

He went on a 91-fight unbeaten streak during that time, as he held the world welterweight title for five years, before becoming world middleweight champion on multiple occasions.

Ali isn’t the only boxing legend that believes Robinson is the best ever, with fellow heavyweight icon Mike Tyson also sharing the same view.

Johnny Fisher’s lucrative move to Zuffa Boxing could be over almost as quickly as it began if Michael Pirotton produces a damaging knockout at London’s Copper Box Arena this weekend.

Eyebrows were raised when Zuffa invested significantly in Fisher following his brutal defeat to Dave Allen. The popular heavyweight had looked far from the finished article at domestic level, never mind world level, when Allen stopped him in five rounds last year.

Fisher has since rebuilt with a knockout victory over Ivan Balaz, but Saturday represents something entirely different.

The 27-year-old will headline Zuffa Boxing 11 against Pirotton in his first appearance for Dana White’s fledgling promotion. More importantly, Fisher has revealed that his initial agreement with Zuffa is for just one fight.

That puts considerably more on the line than the result itself.

Fisher’s Zuffa Boxing Gamble

Fisher left Matchroom Boxing after receiving what he described as a tremendous financial offer from Zuffa. Reports surrounding the negotiations claimed the proposal was worth six or seven times what was available to him elsewhere.

Zuffa therefore saw enough in Fisher’s popularity, aggressive style and potential to make a significant investment despite the questions left behind by his two fights with Allen.

The first ended in a controversial split decision for Fisher after Allen dropped him and appeared to do enough to win. Five months later, there was no debate when Allen battered Fisher before stopping him in the fifth round of their rematch.

Pirotton does not possess Allen’s profile in the United Kingdom. The Belgian arrives with a 12-2 record and six knockouts, and a defeat to an opponent with considerably less name recognition would be catastrophic for Fisher’s attempt to rebuild his career.

Zuffa Has Already Cut a Loser

Fisher also enters his debut knowing there is already evidence of how ruthless Zuffa can be when one of its fighters loses.

Former WBC light heavyweight champion Oleksandr Gvozdyk revealed that Zuffa terminated his contract via email following his knockout defeat to Radivoje Kalajdzic in February.

Despite dropping Kalajdzic twice before being stopped in the seventh round, Gvozdyk said his contract contained an option allowing Zuffa to release him following a defeat.

“They terminated the contract in February after a loss,” Gvozdyk told vRINGe.

“That is, they have the option that if a boxer loses, they have the right to terminate the contract. That’s exactly what they did.”

Everything Rests on Saturday

Fisher’s contractual situation is different because he has publicly described his initial Zuffa agreement as a one-fight deal. His current agreement ends after Saturday regardless of the result, leaving Zuffa to decide whether another deal is worth offering.

Losing his Zuffa debut to Pirotton, particularly by knockout, could therefore end this chapter before it has properly started.

White and the TKO hierarchy have already shown with Gvozdyk that status offers no guarantee of another opportunity after defeat. Fisher enters the promotion without Gvozdyk’s former world championship credentials and with questions about his ceiling still unanswered.

The Romford Bull has been handed a lucrative opportunity to prove that the Allen defeat was a setback rather than an indication of his level.

Another emphatic defeat would leave Zuffa with a major decision to make over whether Fisher remains part of its plans.

There is far more on the line at the Copper Box this weekend than simply securing Johnny Fisher’s second comeback win.

About the Author

Phil Jay is the Editor-in-Chief of World Boxing News (WBN), a BWAA-acknowledged boxing news website founded in 2010. A veteran boxing reporter with 16 years of experience, he has interviewed world champions, broken international exclusives, and reported ringside from major events. His work is published worldwide through WBN and distributed on platforms including Apple News.

Read Phil Jay’s full bio and latest stories.

Teofimo Lopez has a Ryan Garcia payday in sight, but Jack Catterall now has a deadline and a WBA order. Lopez must negotiate a welterweight title defense against Catterall by October 22, leaving little time to keep both fights in play.

Eddie Hearn announced that the WBA had ordered immediate negotiations for Teofimo to face Catterall next. The organization’s resolution gives the fighters 30 days to reach a deal before a purse bid.

Catterall has already waited while another champion took the more appealing fight. He beat Shakhram Giyasov for the WBA’s secondary title, only to see Rolando Romero defend his top belt against Lopez. Now Catterall can demand his shot from Lopez, and asking him to step aside a second time would likely be expensive.

Lopez also has a boxing reason to dislike this order. Sandor Martin dropped him in their 2022 fight, while Jamaine Ortiz spent much of their 2024 meeting moving away and frustrating his attempts to set the pace. Catterall is another disciplined southpaw who can make Lopez lead, catch him with straight left hands and tie him up when he gets close. Lopez won both earlier fights, but neither offered an encouraging blueprint for this assignment.

The financial choice is harsher. Garcia draws an audience with or without a WBA belt, although Lopez would bring more to a unification promotion as champion. Defending against Catterall first puts that larger fight at risk. Vacating would cost Lopez his title and invite criticism, but it could protect his route to Garcia.

Hey mate @TeofimoLopez, you fancy scrapping on the furyA-J card ? If not, don’t worry, I’ll come to America and get my belt. Either way, I’ll see you soon, champ 🤝,” said Catterall on X.

A purse bid would create another concern for Lopez’s team: Matchroom could pursue the right to stage the fight in Britain. That outcome is possible, not guaranteed, and depends on who bids and how much.

Catterall does not have to accept a small payment to clear Lopez’s schedule. The October 22 deadline puts the pressure where he wants it: Lopez must make a deal, fight him, or decide how much the WBA belt is really worth.

It’s predictable what Teofimo will do next. He will almost certainly search for a way around this fight, and if that door slams shut, he will drop the WBA title rather than enter the ring with Jack Catterall. Getting into the ring with Catterall makes zero financial or strategic sense for Teofimo right now. Catterall is a nightmare-style match. He is a defensive, calculating southpaw who refuses to walk forward, ties opponents up on the inside, and fires sharp straight lefts.

Teofimo looked completely disorganized against Sandor Martin and spent twelve frustrating rounds chasing Jamaine Ortiz around the ring. Fighting Catterall offers terrible money, massive tactical risk, and a high probability of blowing an eight-figure payday. Teofimo’s first playbook will be an attempt to pay Catterall off. They will test the waters on a step-aside package. The problem is that Eddie Hearn and Catterall know they have Teofimo cornered. Catterall already stepped aside once so Romero could face Teofimo.

For Catterall to wait again while Teofimo fights Ryan, the check would have to be enormous. If Matchroom demands an unreasonable price or insists that Catterall gets his mandated shot, negotiations will grind to a halt. When that happens, expect Teofimo to vacate the strap. He will not travel to the UK for a purse bid, nor will Top Rank overpay to stage a low-drawing stylistic trap in the United States. Teofimo knows the public will buy a fight with Ryan on name recognition alone. Ryan just stopped Conor Benn in two rounds, owns the WBC belt, and brings massive commercial traction.

Ryan does not need Teofimo to hold the WBA strap to sell pay-per-views. If Teofimo drops the belt, he avoids a dangerous opponent, keeps his promotional schedule intact, and goes straight into a massive 2027 event with Ryan. Given his history of avoiding tricky stylistic operators when big money is on the table, discarding the title is the cleanest escape route he has.

Lopez’s manager Keith Connolly says his team received a different message from the WBA before the order. In a post on Xhe wrote:

“I respect everyone’s opinion, including yours @BoxeoPats, but we were told something different by WBA, so yes, we’ll sit with Teo and decide what we will do. Teo wants the biggest fights possible 💪🏻”

Connolly did not explain what the WBA had previously told them. His response leaves open whether Lopez will negotiate with Catterall or pursue another route to a Ryan Garcia fight.