
Wardley v Dubois - heavyweight fight predictions
Wardley defends WBO title against Dubois in Manchester this Saturday!
Dana White is reportedly finalizing a deal with junior welterweight champion Shakur Stevenson. This acquisition could lead to a major matchup between Stevenson and Conor Benn.
Mentioned in this story
NEWARK, NEW JERSEY - MAY 08: UFC President and CEO Dana White is seen on stage during the UFC Freedom 250 press conference at Prudential Center on May 08, 2026 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)
Zuffa LLC
Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannix reports junior welterweight champion and pound-for-pound contender Shakur Stevenson is "finalizing" a deal with Dana White's Zuffa Boxing. If this is true, White will have secured one of the pound-for-pound best fighters in the world to his growing stable of fighters, and he'll also have an obvious premier matchup at 147 pounds between Stevenson and new-signee Conor Benn.
Signing Shakur Stevenson would enhance Dana White's roster with a top pound-for-pound fighter and create high-profile matchups.
Shakur Stevenson is a junior welterweight champion known for his skill and is considered one of the best fighters in the world.
A significant matchup could occur between Shakur Stevenson and Conor Benn, both of whom are prominent fighters in the 147-pound division.
The deal was reported by Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannix, indicating that it is in the finalization stage.

Wardley defends WBO title against Dubois in Manchester this Saturday!
Krunal Pandya, a key player for RCB, reflects on his journey from local tournaments to the IPL. He aims for a comeback to the Indian national team after last playing in July 2021.
Real Madrid's Valverde and TchouamĂ©ni fined âŹ500,000 each, but will play in ClĂĄsico.
See every story in Sports â including breaking news and analysis.
Mannix's reporting frames Stevenson as "working towards finalizing a deal" with Zuffa Boxing, with multiple sources telling SI that Zuffa's guaranteed money proved too significant for Stevenson to ignore despite competing offers.
The reporting represents a meaningful shift from March, when Stevenson publicly dismissed a rumored $60 million three-fight offer on the Night Cap podcast.
The reporting also notes Zuffa is willing to work with boxing's sanctioning bodies for top stars even as the promotion publicly positions itself against the WBO/IBF/WBA/WBC sanctioning structure. That carve-out matters for Stevenson, whose WBO and Ring Magazine titles are currently the most marketable assets attached to his name.
If finalized, Stevenson would become Zuffa Boxingâs first true pound-for-pound, prime-age signing. White has spent 2025 and early 2026 stocking the roster with a mix of over 90 fighters, but most signings have been midlevel talent or veterans like Jai Opetaia.
Stevenson is a different category entirely â a 28-year-old four-division world champion who just delivered a 119-109 masterclass over Teofimo Lopez at Madison Square Garden.
That signing would also fundamentally shift negotiation leverage across the sport. Top names approaching free agency would suddenly have a credible third pole â not just Matchroom, PBC, or Top Rank, but a Zuffa option backed by Saudi capital and Paramount+ distribution. Devin Haney has been rumored as the next domino.
A Zuffa-backed Stevenson run is going to be event-driven, not stay-busy work. Mannix's earlier reporting and EssentiallySports both pointed to a potential late-2026 Las Vegas stadium card headlined by Stevenson vs. Conor Benn, assuming Benn rebounds from his recent fight against Regis Prograis.
Beyond the purse, the appeal is Dana White's track record building megastars rather than just fighters. Boxing promoters have historically struggled with cross-platform marketing; White's UFC infrastructure plus Paramount+ distribution gives Zuffa a different reach. Stevenson reportedly earned $8-10 million for the Lopez fight â even at the lower end of new Zuffa numbers, the per-fight purse jumps significantly.
Stevenson vs. Benn at welterweight is the matchup Zuffa would build around. Benn is already signed, just put his unbeaten record on the line at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on April 11, and is exactly the kind of marketable name needed to anchor a stadium card.
The fight makes commercial sense, fits Zuffa's stadium-first event strategy, and lets White open the Stevenson era with a bout casual fans actually recognize. If the deal closes the way Mannix is reporting, expect that fight to be announced as Zuffa's first major U.S. stadium show â likely late 2026 in Las Vegas, with Paramount+ distribution attached.
This article was originally published on Forbes.com