Dana White's boxing experiment is showing UFC fighters everything they're missing

October 20, 2026

Dana White’s push into boxing through TKO’s Zuffa Boxing venture has exposed a stark contrast in fighter autonomy and earnings between the two sports. After eight weeks of training for promised bouts that never materialized, Shakur Stevenson requested and secured his release from Zuffa Boxing, becoming a free agent to negotiate his own fights.

The move underscores a growing frustration among UFC fighters, who have long watched boxing’s lucrative contracts—like Conor McGregor’s reported $15 million deal—while facing rigid UFC contracts with capped pay, even for champions. Sean Strickland, the UFC middleweight champion, highlighted this disparity after signing a long-term deal in spring 2024, locking him into a contract that offers far less financial upside than boxing’s flexible, high-stakes agreements.

The UFC’s shift away from pay-per-view revenue has further solidified fighters’ earnings, leaving little room for negotiation or windfall payouts that boxing’s structure still allows. Meanwhile, Jake Paul’s public suggestion that UFC fighters could demand similar release clauses signals mounting pressure on TKO’s dual-sport model to address the perceived inequities in fighter control and compensation.