In August 2017, following the high-profile boxing match between
MMA fighter
Conor McGregor and boxing champion Floyd Mayweather Jr.,
Dana White announced his intention to enter the world of
professional boxing under the "Zuffa Boxing" brand. White suggested that the existing boxing promotion landscape was "broken" and needed a centralized, promoter-driven model similar to the
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), of which White was then president. Despite media attention and the sale of branded merchandise, Zuffa Boxing's launch was repeatedly delayed. On June 18, 2025, Dana White officially announced that the UFC's parent company
TKO Group Holdings (TKO) would enter the boxing industry under the
Zuffa Boxing name, reviving the brand White had originally teased in 2017. The announcement was made public through an interview with
Sports Business Journal in which White reiterated that Zuffa Boxing aimed to apply the UFC's promotional model to professional boxing. The branding of TKO's boxing venture as "Zuffa Boxing" was confirmed by additional outlets the following day. Shortly after the announcement, it was revealed that TKO would be the lead promoter of the
super middleweight fight between
Canelo Álvarez and
Terence Crawford, scheduled for September 13, 2025, at
Allegiant Stadium in
Paradise, Nevada. The bout, which was streamed globally via
Netflix, was organized in partnership with Saudi entertainment company
Sela with the backing of
Turki Al-Sheikh, Chairman of the
General Entertainment Authority of
Saudi Arabia. On June 23, 2025,
The Ring Magazine formally announced that the
Canelo vs. Crawford fight would serve as the inaugural event under the Zuffa Boxing banner. Zuffa Boxing's first event under the Paramount Skydance partnership,
Zuffa Boxing 01, took place on January 23, 2026 at the
Meta Apex in the
Las Vegas Valley, a day prior to
UFC 324. On February 26, it was announced by TKO president
Mark Shapiro that Zuffa Boxing will promote the heavyweight match between
Tyson Fury and
Arslanbek Makhmudov, which
Netflix will broadcast on April 11, 2026. ==List of events==