Zuffa Boxing makes double raid on the heavyweight division

Boxing has recently welcomed a new promotional force, with Zuffa Boxing joining the more established companies such as Matchroom and Top Rank. 

Dana White & co helped stage the megafight between Canelo and Terence Crawford, and will be hosting their first card on January 23. Another card is set to take place on February 14, with Efe Ajagba vs Charles Martin set to headline, as revealed by Dan Rafael.

Zuffa Boxing set for busy first year in boxing

Zuffa recently announced that it has the intention to host 12 shows throughout 2026 and make changes to boxing: “We’re going to start from the ground up,” White said. “We are already working on a new design for the ring.

“That meeting was yesterday, too. We had a huge design meeting for a new boxing ring,” said White.

Their proposed changes to the Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act have attracted a plethora of criticism, but they appear unmoved, with Callum Walsh vs Carlos Ocampo set to headline the January 23 card.

Zuffa Boxing sign two heavyweights for February 14 fight card

Zuffa Boxing looks set to host another card on February 14 at a venue to be confirmed. Dan Rafael revealed via his X account that Zuffa had signed former IBF heavyweight titlist Charles Martin (30-4-1, 27 KOs), who once lost by second-round KO to Anthony Joshua.

The second signing to Zuffa, as revealed by Rafael, is 6′ 6″  Nigerian Efe Ajagba (20-1-1, 14 KOs). The 31-year-old has left Top Rank to join Zuffa and fight Martin in the Feb. 14 main event.

Ajagba was last seen in action fighting Martin Bakole on the Canelo vs William Scull undercard. Many felt the Nigerian did enough to win the fight, with one judge agreeing and scoring 96-94 in his favour. However, the other two judges scored it 95-95, meaning the fight was ruled a majority draw.

Martin’s career has somewhat tailed off in recent years, with the high point coming back in 2016, when he stopped Vyacheslav Glazkov to win the vacant IBF heavyweight title. Defeats in recent years against Luis Ortiz and Jared Anderson left many wondering if Martin would fight again. His last bout came in 2024, when he defeated Matthew McKinney. 

How do you rate this main event? Will Zuffa attract higher-profile fighters?