Eddie Hearn Calls New Zuffa Boxing Belt 'Cringiest Sh*t'

- The name "Zuffa" is a revival of Zuffa, LLC, the company Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta, along with Dana White, founded in 2001 to purchase and operate the UFC. The new Zuffa Boxing is a joint venture between UFC's parent company, TKO Group Holdings, and Sela, a Saudi Arabian events company. - The first Zuffa championship belt will be contested on March 8, when IBF and Ring Magazine cruiserweight champion Jai Opetaia faces Brandon Glanton. However, Opetaia's established IBF and Ring titles will not be on the line for this bout. - Hearn argued that creating a promoter-specific belt disrespects the sport's history, questioning if his own company would ever launch a "Matchroom Boxing World Championship" and calling it an act of ego he could never fathom. He emphasized that fighters should aspire to win the historic belts held by legends like Muhammad Ali and Mike Tyson. - Boxing's landscape is traditionally governed by four major independent sanctioning bodies: the WBA, WBC, IBF, and WBO. A fighter who holds all four titles simultaneously is recognized as an "undisputed champion." - Dana White's stated goal is to bypass these sanctioning bodies and replicate the UFC's centralized structure, where the promotion owns the championship. White has said Zuffa Boxing will not recognize the major belts, instead creating a path to its own title and The Ring Magazine's championship, which is owned by his Saudi partners. - White's interest in promoting boxing dates back to at least 2017, following the lucrative Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Conor McGregor event. However, the launch of Zuffa Boxing was repeatedly delayed until its official debut in 2025-2026. - Zuffa Boxing plans to streamline the sport by recognizing only eight weight classes, a significant departure from the 17 divisions currently sanctioned by the major boxing organizations.