Zuffa Boxing will officially make its long-anticipated debut on January 23, marking the start of a new era for Dana White’s boxing project and the beginning of the sport’s run on Paramount+. The announcement came Tuesday during TKO Group Holdings’ quarterly investor call, confirming that the inaugural event will take place the night before UFC’s first show on the Paramount Skydance platform.
TKO president Mark Shapiro called it “a big weekend for TKO,” emphasizing the back-to-back rollout of Zuffa Boxing and UFC under the same streaming umbrella. While no card details, fighters, or venue have been revealed, UFC 324 is set for January 24 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, making a Vegas-based Zuffa Boxing launch highly likely.
The debut arrives as Congress considers the proposed Muhammad Ali American Boxing Revival Act (H.R. 4624), legislation that TKO hopes will allow promoters like Zuffa Boxing to operate as a Unified Boxing Organization. Such status would exempt them from certain requirements of the existing Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act, provided they meet new standards for minimum fighter pay, insurance, and anti-doping protocols. The bill remains in committee and has yet to move beyond the discussion phase.
For now, Zuffa Boxing will operate under current regulations, though Shapiro stressed the venture’s financial safety net through its partnership with Turki Alalshikh and Riyadh Season. TKO will earn a $10 million annual management fee while building the brand with the same model used for UFC and WWE - selling media rights, sponsorships, tickets, and site fees.
January’s event marks the first boxing broadcast under the Paramount banner since Showtime exited the sport at the end of 2023. With Dana White steering the launch and a major Saudi partnership behind it, Zuffa Boxing is set to emerge as one of 2026’s most closely watched new players in the sport.
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