Dana White confirms Zuffa Boxing Fighters can compete for multiple championships

Dana White has clarified a major policy change for Zuffa Boxing, confirming that fighters signed to the promotion will be allowed to compete in Ring Magazine shows and hold multiple championship belts at the same time.

During a recent press conference, White raised questions about cross-promotional flexibility within the new boxing venture. When asked directly if Zuffa fighters could compete on Ring shows, White gave a straight answer: “Yes.”​

The exchange continued when a reporter pressed for clarification on how the double belt system would function, as both Zuffa Boxing and Ring Magazine award their own championships. White’s response was equally direct: “You can have both ties.”​

This marks a notable evolution from the promotion’s original position. When Zuffa Boxing was first announced in September 2025, White told Ring Magazine’s Max Kellerman that the organization would only recognize two championships: the Zuffa belt and the Ring Magazine belt. At the time, he stated that he “would not recognize any of the other sanctioning bodies,” referring to the WBC, WBA, WBO and IBF.​

Dana White confirms Zuffa Boxing Fighters will be allowed to fight for multiple championships

The shift became apparent in January 2026 then Zuffa Boxing signed IBF cruiserweight champion Jai Opetaia. Opetaia’s co-promoter Mick Francis revealed that despite White’s public stance on sanctioning bodies, Zuffa agreed to allow the Australian fighter to pursue title associations. “They will make Jai fight for the titles and unite the divisions, and that is exactly what he wants to do,” Francis told Boxing King Media.

White later acknowledged that his earlier statements had been too rigid. “It’s all a work in progress,” he said at a news conference in January. “These guys all come from somewhere and had dreams from the moment they first put on a pair of gloves. We’re going to do everything we can to make sure these guys can do what they set out to do.”

Former WBA junior welterweight champion Jose Valenzuela, who signed with Zuffa Boxing and competed in the promotion’s second event on February 1, reiterated this flexibility in an interview with BoxingScene. “I go and fight three times a year. They pay me great. I fight on Paramount+. I can still fight on a Ring Magazine card, and that’s where the pound-for-pound fighters fight,” Valenzuela explained.​

The cross-promotion scheme works in part because Ring Magazine is owned by Turki Alalshikh, the Saudi entertainment leader who co-founded Zuffa Boxing with White. Alalshikh also finances the individual boxing events in the Riyadh season, giving Zuffa fighters the opportunity to move on to bigger shows while retaining their promotional ties.

Zuffa Boxing launched its first event on January 23, 2026 at the Meta Apex in Las Vegas, with a five-year broadcast deal worth approximately $100 million per year through Paramount+. The promotion has 12 events planned for 2026 and is building a roster of more than 200 fighters, with a focus on prospects and developing talent.

While White initially positioned Zuffa Boxing as an alternative to traditional sanctioning bodies, recent statements suggest a more pragmatic approach that allows fighters to pursue opportunities across multiple promotional platforms while remaining under contract with the new organization.