Less than two months after staging their first event, Dana White’s Zuffa Boxing have secured a broadcast deal in the UK.
After conquering the world of MMA and making the UFC arguably the biggest combat sport promotion in the world, White has now turned to boxing, teaming up with Saudi chief Turki Al-Sheikh to launch Zuffa Boxing.
They have staged four events to date, the latest of those seeing cruiserweight star Jai Opetaia in action, but it is arguably the moves they have been making away from those shows that have received the most attention.
The most noteworthy of those is the shock signing of Conor Benn, who joined forces with White and Zuffa last month after leaving long-term promoters Eddie Hearn and Matchroom Boxing.
Zuffa’s latest powerplay has been revealed today, after it was confirmed that they have signed a multi-year deal with UK giant Sky Sports to broadcast their shows moving forward.
Sky notably had an exclusive deal with Matchroom for around a decade, before spending the last few years airing Boxxer events. They will now team up with Zuffa, and White has shared his joy at the announcement.
“The UK has played such a pivotal role throughout 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 for legendary boxing fights.
“There’s no bigger or better platform to showcase the best boxing in the UK. This is a massive milestone for Zuffa Boxing.”
The deal will see at least five shows per year on UK soil, with a more detailed schedule expected to be released in the coming weeks.
