Ever since Dana White reportedly gave Conor Benn $15 MILLION for one boxing match, fighter pay has become a huge talking point across the UFC and boxing! Jon Jones – His negotiations for a potential Alex Pereira fight at the White House reportedly ran into money issues, with Benn's payday becoming a point of comparison. Sean Strickland – Has publicly questioned UFC fighter pay and brought up Benn's massive deal, although Dana White denies any contract issues. Shakur Stevenson – Has now LEFT Dana White's Zuffa Boxing after just THREE MONTHS without fighting a single time, citing promised fights that never happened.
Shakur Stevenson has reportedly walked away from Zuffa Boxing after roughly three months with the promotion without a single fight, according to an unconfirmed report. The reason cited is that fights he was promised never materialised. Neither the promotion nor Stevenson has confirmed the departure.
The exit lands at a time when fighter compensation is a live topic across combat sports. Dana White reportedly gave Conor Benn $15 million for one boxing match, and that figure has become a reference point in several pay disputes, none of which have been officially resolved.
The pay debate around Benn's deal
Jon Jones is reported to have run into money issues in negotiations for a possible fight with Alex Pereira at the White House, with Benn's payday cited as a point of comparison. That talk is also unconfirmed.
Sean Strickland, meanwhile, has publicly questioned UFC fighter pay and raised Benn's reported deal as an example. White denies there are any contract issues.
Why it matters
- Stevenson's reported complaint is about inactivity rather than money: a fighter who signed expecting bouts and went three months without one.
- The Benn figure is giving fighters across the UFC and boxing a concrete number to measure their own deals against.
- If Stevenson has indeed left, it would be an early setback for Zuffa Boxing's effort to build a roster around established names.
The story rests on a single unconfirmed account, and the details of Stevenson's contract and the specific fights he was allegedly promised have not been made public. Until either side speaks, the circumstances of his reported exit remain unclear.
