Dana White said at the UFC 333 post-fight press conference that he offered Shakur Stevenson his release from Zuffa Boxing and that Stevenson's team accepted. White said he has nothing negative to say about Stevenson or his team and that everyone involved is happy with the outcome. He noted Zuffa never staged a fight with Stevenson, who signed in July. Stevenson earlier said he requested the release because fights he was told would happen never materialized.
Dana White says Shakur Stevenson is free to leave Zuffa Boxing, and that the release was his idea to offer.
Speaking at the UFC 333 post-fight press conference, White said he offered Stevenson his release from the promotion and that Stevenson's team accepted, as first reported by Bloody Elbow. The event took place on October 24, 2026.
White kept his comments cordial. He said he has nothing negative to say about Stevenson or his team, and that everyone involved is happy with how things ended. He also pointed out a notable detail: Zuffa Boxing never staged a fight with Stevenson, who signed with the promotion in July. That means the pairing ended without the boxer ever stepping into the ring under the Zuffa banner.
The release follows comments from Stevenson himself, who said earlier that he had requested to be let go. His reason, as he described it, was that fights he was told would happen never materialized. White's account does not contradict that version outright. Instead, it frames the parting as a mutual and amicable arrangement, with the promotion offering the exit and the fighter's camp taking it.
The timeline is short. By the dates reported, Stevenson's stay with Zuffa Boxing lasted roughly three months, from his July signing to the late-October press conference where White addressed the matter, and it produced no bouts.
Why it matters
- Stevenson is now a free agent in boxing after a brief, fightless spell with Zuffa Boxing.
- The episode highlights the pressure on a new promotion to deliver marquee matchups quickly to the stars it signs.
- White's conciliatory tone suggests the split carries no public bad blood between the parties.
What comes next for Stevenson has not been reported, and no new destination or opponent has been mentioned. For Zuffa Boxing, the departure removes one of its early high-profile signings before the promotion could showcase him, a reminder that talent acquisition and fight-making have to move in step.
Saturday, October 24, 2026
