Dana White Waffles on Whether Zuffa Boxers Can Chase Major World Titles
Boxers signed to Zuffa Boxing may still be able to compete for titles held by the WBA, WBC, IBF and WBO, but Dana White says those opportunities will be decided individually rather than through a fixed rule.
Zuffa’s original position appeared much stricter. When the promotion was announced in 2025, White said he would recognize the Zuffa belt and The Ring title, rather than the sport’s four main sanctioning-body championships. That created an immediate question for established champions who joined the roster: would signing with Zuffa prevent them from chasing unification fights and undisputed status?
Can Zuffa Boxers Fight for WBC, WBA, IBF and WBO Titles? Dana White Won’t Commit
White has now offered a more flexible answer. Asked whether Zuffa fighters could pursue belts from the major sanctioning bodies, he said: “On a case by case basis trying to figure out what the fighters want and what their goals are, we will try to figure out…whatever we can do to make those type of fights happen.”
That wording stops short of a blanket commitment that every Zuffa boxer can freely fight anywhere. It does, however, leave room for champions to retain or pursue established world titles if a deal works for the fighter, Zuffa and the other parties involved. White has separately confirmed that Zuffa fighters can compete on Ring Magazine events and carry both a Zuffa belt and a Ring belt.
Jai Opetaia’s situation has since exposed the limits of White’s case-by-case position, as he aimed to collect all of boxing’s major titles. Opetaia went ahead with a March 8 fight against Brandon Glanton for the inaugural Zuffa Boxing cruiserweight title after the IBF withdrew its sanction during fight week. The IBF later stripped Opetaia of its cruiserweight title, ruling that the Zuffa belt fight could not be treated as an approved unification bout under its rules.
Opetaia has now taken the IBF to court in Nevada, seeking reinstatement as champion, financial damages and an order preventing the body from scheduling a vacant-title fight while the case is ongoing. His lawsuit alleges the IBF changed course after initially accepting the Zuffa belt as a “trophy or token of recognition,” then punished him for signing with Zuffa in a move designed to discourage other fighters from doing the same. The IBF has not established its formal response in the reported filings, so the dispute remains unresolved.
The case makes White’s vague answer more significant. Zuffa may be willing to discuss outside belts when it sees a route to a major fight, but the Opetaia dispute shows that approval from a promoter does not settle the issue. A boxer may still have to satisfy the rules, sanctioning demands and title-fight definitions set by the IBF, WBA, WBC or WBO.
The arrangement gives Zuffa a chance to build a new title without asking a current champion to abandon the legacy belts that define undisputed status. Opetaia is scheduled to fight Brandon Glanton for the inaugural Zuffa cruiserweight title, but the promotion’s belt is not part of the four-title formula recognized for an undisputed champion.
White was also asked about potential future matchups between Zuffa fighters and names such as Devin Haney or Teofimo Lopez, who have recently signed with DAZN. His answer again focused on making major fights rather than protecting one platform.
“If you look at what Turki has done over the last several years in boxing is to put on the biggest and the best fights that we can. However, or whatever it takes to achieve that we’ll try to do.”
A Zuffa contract may shape where a boxer regularly competes, yet it does not automatically rule out a deal with DAZN-aligned fighters, rival promoters or champions holding traditional belts. Turki Alalshikh’s involvement offers a potential bridge because he is tied to Zuffa Boxing, The Ring and Riyadh Season events.
