The heavyweight division doesn’t need another belt. This much is obvious.

Zuffa Boxing, as it prepares to introduce its own championship in the sport’s flagship weight, will immediately ask the same question that fans have been asking themselves for years: how many titles does one division need?

But it’s not just about putting another strip into circulation. It’s about who can fight for it and what it will mean for the power structure at the top.

The current landscape is already complicated. The unified champions sit next to the interim title holders. Mandates wait their turn while politics and broadcasting alliances dictate the times. For most fans, clarity only exists on fight night.

Adding the Zuffa heavyweight bar risks stretching this image further if the right name isn’t given from the start.

Ajagba is the logical leader

Efe Ajagba strengthened his case with a stoppage victory over former IBF champion Charles Martin at UFC Apex. In terms of moving up, building his own internal ladder, Ajagba makes sense as a top contender.

He is dynamic. He’s getting better. He has real knockout power and now has a recognizable former titleholder under the Zuffa banner.

If the promotion continued and Ajagba was its number one contender, few would question the logic of the selection.

The problem is not credibility within Zuffa’s structure. That’s credibility across the department.

The Usyk factor changes the conversation

This is where the story changes.

Oleksandr Usyk is currently between mandatory duties. After Deontay Wilder left the path to the WBC title, Usyk may take a voluntary fight before fighting Agit Kabayel.

This window is significant and could be huge for Zuffa and Dana White.

If the former pound-for-pound king wanted to add another layer to his legacy, becoming Zuffa’s inaugural heavyweight champion would not be a secondary consideration. It would be a calculated move that would add extra weight to a Hall of Fame career.

Usyk has already done it twice – completely unified the heavyweight titles and transformed the division’s hierarchy. Winning Zuffa’s first belt wouldn’t replace those achievements, but it would place him at the center of a recent commercial structure before it was fully formed.

On Zuffa’s side, the appeal is obvious. White starting his first major heavyweight championship event outside of the Apex environment with Usyk taking part would immediately elevate the belt beyond “startup” status.

Ajagba brings danger and familiarity to Zuffa fans. Usyk brings legitimacy and history.

Together, the belt gains immediate significance, but only if White, Zuffa and TKO act quickly.

Risk and reward for everyone

The downside to any White advance towards Usyk would be that the sanctioning bodies will closely guard their position.

Voluntary competition for a recent promotional title may be explored depending on the timing. Usyk will have to balance responsibilities with opportunities, especially considering Kabayel will be the next significant step in his journey.

Financially, Zuffa would need to present an offer sturdy enough to justify this calculation.

If Usyk is not involved, the introduction of another heavyweight championship will be seen as further fragmentation. If he is involved, the narrative changes.

The belt won’t feel like an addition to the clutter. It would be like a land grab at just the right moment and would leave one single champion in place in all areas.

That’s the difference.

The heavyweight division has always been defined by fights, not organizational charts. If Zuffa secures one of these fights immediately, the recent belt will become part of history.

If not, the confusion argument will only get louder.

About the author

Phil Jay is the editor-in-chief of World Boxing News (WBN), boxing veteran with over 15 years of experience. Read the full biography.