Shakur Stevenson says Zuffa Boxing’s plan to have one world champion in each weight class is exactly what boxing needs, saying the current four-belt system makes it difficult to put together big fights in the sport.
“People can say what they want, right? But let’s be honest now. They say they want one belt in the organization,” Shakur said while talking to Chris Mannix about the one-belt Zuffa. That takes away four belts making it easier for the fighters to fight each other because now you don’t get three other champions holding the belt.
“When we were rookies, we used to go to a tournament and if we were all in the same weight class, we had to fight. This kind of reminds me of where I came from. I love this. This is the best fight.”
Shakur said he believes that boxing will be better for years if there is one world champion in each weight, not four. He likes the idea of a single belt because he believes it forces the top fighters to face each other. The real test will come when that philosophy applies to him.
“I always wish there was one belt, as I was saying this before Zuffa came,” said Stevenson. “If there was only one belt, we wouldn’t have as many problems as we have in the business of making the biggest and best fights.”
Currently, Shakur is talking about Devin Haney and Gervonta Davis, but neither is officially part of Zuffa Boxing. Among the prominent names already in line for the promotion are Richardson Hitchins, Conor Benn and Jose “Rayo” Valenzuela. If Zuffa really adopts a single belt system with forced fit, Shakur may have fewer opportunities to outbid opponents he considers less attractive financially.
Stevenson has already called off the fight with Rayo, saying he is not happy. That status may be difficult to maintain if Zuffa’s one title shot ends up requiring him to face whoever comes out on top. Benn has also shown no interest in giving Shakur the weight ratings he’s been looking for for major rivals.
Shakur also admitted that his recent feud with the WBC influenced his decision to join Zuffa Boxing.
“My decision with Zuffa had an impact on what the WBC recently did to me because I feel that it was wrong of them,” said Stevenson. “They know it was wrong and they haven’t apologized and they still haven’t come to the table and said nothing, so they just took my belt that I worked so hard for.”
He said he fulfilled his obligations as a champion before losing the title.
“I gave them money. So, it’s like I did everything I was supposed to do as a champion and they still took away my belt that I worked so hard for. So, yeah, it played a role,” Shakur said of the WBC stripping him of his lightweight title after moving up to challenge Teofimo Lopez for his WBO light welterweight title.
Despite his criticism of the WBC, Shakur has made it clear that he has no problem with the WBO and is determined to continue to defend his light welterweight title while fighting big fights under Zuffa.
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Last updated on 2026/07/13 at 4:53 PM
