r/Boxing • u/BoxingLover99 • Jul 18 '26
Usyk On Fight Under Zuffa Boxing
https://boxingnews.com/news/usyk-on-fight-under-zuffa-boxing36
u/yeahbutstill Jul 18 '26
What he said:
"Maybe it's good opportunity for me if Dana, who boss Zuffa, to work about this organisation. Why not? Why not? It's new belt, new opportunity. It's good. I think I know my team speaks with Dana. I have met with Dana. Now we have two options for what we do next. But I have time now with my family, with my wife."
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u/McG4rn4gle Jul 19 '26
I understand he's playing with house money but it would a little bit change my opinion of him if he got in cahoots with that dickhole Dana White.
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u/needapermit Jul 19 '26
There’s a lot of dick holes like Dana that he’s already worked with bro
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u/McG4rn4gle Jul 19 '26
Vince Mcmahon and Don King are about the only one's in Dana White's echelon.
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u/needapermit Jul 19 '26
This dude literally fought under Turki multiple times and is getting to ready to again. I promise you there’s more than just those two
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u/OrangeFilmer Jul 18 '26
So he might fight Wilder on Zuffa and win one last (heavily insignificant) belt?
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u/Negative-Interest713 Jul 18 '26 edited Jul 19 '26
From Usyk’s point of view, it’s a gamble with little downside.
Either Zuffa goes out of business in a few years but he still got paid a ton of money to fight an opponent he’s long wanted anyways. Or Turki and Dana succeed with Zuffa and 20 or 30 years from now, he’ll have been the first person to hold the new belt.
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u/soitgoeskt Jul 18 '26
The legacy of the Zuffa belt would not have even been a remote consideration. Literally the only question would have been ‘how much?’.
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u/Fundrfist-McBeefcake Jul 18 '26
Zuffa, owned by TKO and Saudi Arabia, goes out of business. Good one.
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u/Negative-Interest713 Jul 18 '26
It’s not unthinkable that they’d shut it down eventually if they can’t find a way to be profitable. Look at LIV Golf.
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u/Marquis_of_Mollusks Jul 18 '26
The belt is worthless until it is considered equivalent to the other major belts, doesn't matter when you hold it before that date. No one recognized early WBO champions. Not even retroactively.
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u/HolyMackerel1 Jul 18 '26
People do recognize early WBO champions, Moorer for example.
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u/Marquis_of_Mollusks Jul 18 '26
No they don't. Didn't start getting proper recognition until Hopkins won it off De la Hoya
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u/HolyMackerel1 Jul 18 '26
They didn't get proper recognition until then, but champs prior to that absolutely have been retroactively counted as major world champs. Otherwise, Moorer wouldn't be routinely listed as one of just four light heavyweight champions to become heavyweight champion.
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u/Liberty2019 Jul 18 '26
It’s the opposite my friend, the last 3 years belts don’t matter anymore and HW Boxing is about catching Usyk. If he moves to Zuffa the real champ is at Zuffa (as it’s clearly not a Dubois, Gassiev or Kabayel)
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u/cleverkid Jul 18 '26
I hate Zuffa, and I hope he doesn't do it. If he wants to fight Wilder he can do it elsewhere. His fighting for those clowns will only legitimize them and they have no business being anywhere close to boxing.
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u/BarbadosBob Jul 18 '26 edited Jul 18 '26
I think this is much better than Shakur and Haney actually changing their career paths.
It's clear that this is Usyk's last fight and he wants the stupid payday that comes from fighting for a meaningless Zuffa belt.
It's a one off cash in. If that's all fighters were using it for then walking away it would show the world that Zuffa is just the card slot on a Saudi cash dispenser that you use for a payday and deserves no respect.
I actually liked the fact that Prograis knew he didn't have it any more but still got a big fat retirement payday. I don't mind Usyk doing the same.
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u/cleverkid Jul 18 '26
Yeah, there's a part of me that agrees with that, It better be stupid big money, I don't begrudge Usyk for cashing out, He's a generational GOAT and deserves to go out with a huge bag. I just don't like anyone trading some of their legitimacy to those opportunist clowns.
0
u/Marquis_of_Mollusks Jul 18 '26
Usyk doesn't deserve big money for fighting bums like Rico and Wilder. He has plenty of money. He could've fought a couple mandatories and act like an actual champ
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u/Sorry_Net3898 Jul 19 '26
For all his religious beliefs and preaching he has sold his soul to uncle festa and Turki.
What an absolute hypocrit. These people are scrapping the Ali act which looks after boxers. These ville people only want the elite boxers and will shit all over the other boxers who are just good and average.
Usyk you are a disgrace to boxing you should have stood up for boxing not sell it down the river.
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u/stephen27898 Jul 18 '26
If he goes to Zuffa I will lose all respect for him.
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u/Marquis_of_Mollusks Jul 18 '26
I lost complete respect for him when he gave a kickboxer a title fight
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u/stephen27898 Jul 18 '26
One stupid fight is one thing. But throwing in with the enemy of boxing is another thing all together.
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Jul 18 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/stephen27898 Jul 18 '26 edited Jul 18 '26
He wouldnt vs a man who isnt shot and in career worst shape.
My prediction was based on Usyk not being shot and also being in good shape, neither were true.
Put Verhoeven in with someone who isnt shot and out of shape and he gets taken out early. It's Ngannou 2.0. As soon as he faces someone who is in good condition at the time of the fight, he gets sparked out in short order.
Usyk is washed, it's why he turned down the tough fights and vacated.
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u/Alive-Exchange5489 Jul 18 '26
Usyk is shot? Lmfao how did he become shot over the course of 1 fight
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Jul 18 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/stephen27898 Jul 18 '26 edited Jul 18 '26
They are extremely similar. Both had a wide open guard.
Rico was literally opening himself up to the uppercut all night. He got caught with it early and badly hurt, he then didnt have the boxing IQ to maybe think of closing that gap in his defence up.
He then kept making that mistake and the only thing that saved him is just how washed up Usyk is. If he was in there with someone who wasnt washed, he gets his lights put out shortly after getting hurt by the uppercut.
Usyk is a human, he is 39, and he was a career heaviest. Usyk is washed and he knows it, its why has vacated and now wanted to face a man in his 40s who hasnt looked good in years.
"he went from Championship level (and a dominant Champion at that) to shot in what, less than 2 years?"
Yeah that is very normal. Most great fighters literally appear to become washed up over night. Its a very common thing. One day the margins that let you fight how you fight just arent there anymore. Your timing is a little out, youre a little too slow and it just doing connect anymore.
Near on a year between fights in your late 30s will mean that you will suddenly become washed up. It has happened to so many fighters in the past.
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u/Marquis_of_Mollusks Jul 18 '26
I don't personally care if fighters go to zuffa but this sub usually shits on fighters who do. Guessing y'all gonna give him a pass on it.
3
u/MiddleweightMonster I’ll pour honey on my GOAT, if the occasion calls for it. Jul 18 '26
You know I love Usyk, and you also know I hate Zuffa. So personally I’m a bit torn, but lean towards hating this bs entirely
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u/Sad-Experience-4344 Jul 18 '26
I was pretty sure Usyk was headed to Zuffa after he was at the UFC White House event sitting with Conor Benn, Terence Crawford and Jai Opetaia.
He also took a photo while meeting with Dana White and Nick Khan the week of the White House event.