For the first time in generations, professional boxing has a genuine challenger to the old guard. No more alphabet soup of sanctioning bodies. No more promoters playing games with rankings. No more fights that never get made. That is the promise of Zuffa Boxing — a brand-new boxing promotion that launched in June 2025 and has already turned the sport upside down. But who actually owns it? The answer involves Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, the company behind the UFC and WWE, one of the most powerful men in global entertainment, and a joint venture that is fully funded by Riyadh and managed by Las Vegas.
Here is everything you need to know.
What Is Zuffa Boxing?
Zuffa Boxing is a new professional boxing promotion designed to modernize boxing. It is a centralized league-style boxing competition based on the UFC model, founded by Dana White and Turki Alalshikh in June 2025. The new promotion features high-quality matchmaking and clear stakes, while removing the unpredictability of traditional boxing promotions.
Zuffa Boxing is a new professional boxing promotion from TKO Group Holdings, the parent company of UFC, and Sela, the entertainment conglomerate. Its numbered events stream live and on demand on Paramount+.
The name Zuffa itself carries history. It was the original name of the company that Frank Fertitta, Lorenzo Fertitta, and Dana White used to buy the UFC in 2001 for just $2 million — and eventually transform it into a $4 billion global sports empire. Reviving that name for a boxing promotion is a deliberate signal: TKO intends to do to boxing exactly what it did to MMA.
Who Owns Zuffa Boxing Right Now in 2026?
The ownership structure is confirmed directly by its own leadership. Sela, which is controlled by Saudi Arabia, owns 60% of Zuffa Boxing, while UFC’s parent company TKO Group Holdings owns the remaining 40% of the company.
Turki Alalshikh himself confirmed this on social media in June 2026, stating: “We owned 60% of Zuffa, and I am the chairman of the board.”
Under the deal structure, Sela funds Zuffa Boxing entirely — TKO has no funding obligation and is building its equity stake through operations and management. Under a multi-year deal, Sela pays TKO $10 million annually to manage Zuffa Boxing and run day-to-day operations and events. TKO earned 25% equity initially and expects to reach roughly 50/50 ownership within a couple of years by hitting performance milestones.
That deal structure is critical to understand. Saudi Arabia is writing every check. TKO is running every show. And together, they are building what they believe will become the most powerful boxing promotion in the world.
Ownership and Key Stakeholders Table
| Owner / Party | Role | Stake | Key Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sela | Majority Owner | 60% of Zuffa Boxing | Saudi entertainment company; owned by Saudi Arabia’s PIF sovereign wealth fund |
| TKO Group Holdings (NYSE: TKO) | Minority Owner & Operator | 40% of Zuffa Boxing | Parent of UFC and WWE; manages all operations under a $10M/year deal |
| Saudi Arabia’s PIF | Indirect Ultimate Owner | Controls Sela | Same sovereign wealth fund that owns Newcastle United, LIV Golf, and Aramco |
| Turki Alalshikh | Chairman of the Board | Part of Sela’s 60% stake | Chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority |
| Ari Emanuel | CEO & Executive Chairman, TKO | Part of TKO’s 40% stake | CEO of TKO Group Holdings; one of the most powerful figures in global sports |
| Dana White | Promoter | No direct equity | UFC CEO; serves as public face and promoter of Zuffa Boxing |
| Nick Khan | Promoter | No direct equity | WWE President; co-promoter of Zuffa Boxing events |
| Rakan Alharthy | CEO & Managing Director (Sela) | Part of Sela’s 60% stake | Runs Sela’s day-to-day involvement in Zuffa Boxing |
| TKO Boxing Promotions, LLC | Legal Parent Entity | Joint venture vehicle | The formal legal entity that holds and operates Zuffa Boxing |
The Two Power Players Behind Zuffa Boxing
Understanding Zuffa Boxing means understanding the two entities that own it — because both are extraordinary forces in their own right.
TKO Group Holdings — The Combat Sports Conglomerate
TKO Group Holdings operates across more than 210 countries and territories, stages over 500 live events per year, and reaches more than one billion households globally. The company reported $4.735 billion in revenue in 2025, and the 2026 revenue guidance is $5.675 to $5.775 billion, with EBITDA projected to grow another 41–44%.
TKO was formed on September 12, 2023 from a merger between the UFC and WWE, engineered by Endeavor Group Holdings under Ari Emanuel. The merger marked the end of the McMahon family’s multi-generational control over WWE and created the most powerful combat sports and entertainment company ever assembled.
TKO’s key leadership includes Ari Emanuel as CEO and Executive Chairman, Mark Shapiro as President and COO, Dana White as UFC CEO, and Nick Khan as WWE President. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson also serves on the TKO board as a member with strategic input.
As of 2026, TKO’s assets are reported under six main businesses: WWE, UFC, Professional Bull Riders (PBR), On Location, IMG, and Zuffa Boxing.
Sela and Saudi Arabia’s PIF — The Money Behind the Curtain
Sela is a Saudi Arabian entertainment conglomerate that is owned by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) — the same sovereign wealth fund that owns Newcastle United FC, has backed LIV Golf, and has poured hundreds of billions of dollars into global sports and entertainment properties.
In the boxing world specifically, Sela — and its chairman Turki Alalshikh — had already completely transformed the economics of the sport through Riyadh Season events before Zuffa Boxing was ever conceived. Fights that would never have happened elsewhere — Fury vs. Usyk, Canelo vs. Berlanga, Anthony Joshua’s comeback fights — all happened in Saudi Arabia under Turki’s watch, at prices nobody else could afford to pay. Zuffa Boxing is simply the next evolution of that strategy: instead of buying individual fights, Saudi Arabia is now co-owning an entire promotion.
The Origin of the Zuffa Name — A Legacy Revived
The name Zuffa carries enormous weight in combat sports history — and choosing it for this new boxing venture was no accident.
The original Zuffa, LLC was founded in January 2001 by brothers Frank Fertitta III and Lorenzo Fertitta, who purchased the UFC from its original owner Semaphore Entertainment Group for approximately $2 million. Dana White became President of the UFC under Zuffa’s ownership. In 2016, WME-IMG (later Endeavor) bought the UFC from Zuffa for approximately $4 billion — one of the most profitable exits in sports history.
In June 2025, the “Zuffa” brand was revived by TKO for their new boxing promotion in partnership with Sela, named Zuffa Boxing.
The revival of the name is a statement of intent. Dana White and TKO are saying: we built the UFC from a $2 million purchase into a $4 billion institution. We are going to do the same thing to boxing.
How Zuffa Boxing Is Different From Traditional Boxing
Dana White’s Zuffa Boxing promotion sees itself as the “new kid on the block,” aggressively pursuing changes to the sport’s legal framework in America. The goal is to wipe out boxing’s “old guard,” which includes promoters Bob Arum, Frank Warren, and Eddie Hearn, in order to establish a UFC-style model.
The most controversial part of Zuffa Boxing’s ambitions is its proposed legislation. TKO and its allies are pushing for legislation that would create “Unified Boxing Organizations” (UBOs). This designation would allow Zuffa Boxing to effectively act as promoter, sanctioning body, and ranking authority simultaneously. The goal is to replace the current fragmented system — WBC, WBA, IBF, WBO — with a single, unified structure controlled by Zuffa.
Critics argue this gives Zuffa too much power. Supporters argue it is exactly the kind of reform boxing has needed for decades.
The Fighters, Events, and Broadcast Deals
Zuffa Boxing launched its inaugural event in 2025 and has moved rapidly to build its roster and content schedule.
Conor Benn signed with Zuffa Boxing — the headline-making deal was announced on February 20, 2026. Known as “The Destroyer,” the 29-year-old Benn holds a professional record of 24-1. A total of 12 Zuffa Boxing numbered events have been staged.
Zuffa Boxing staged its seventh event — and first on British soil — in mid-2026. Events stream live on Paramount+ in the U.S., with Netflix having streamed the inaugural event globally.
he numbers behind TKO’s broader infrastructure put Zuffa Boxing’s potential in sharp perspective. For context, TKO’s total revenues dwarf everything else in boxing combined. No other boxing promotion in history has ever been backed by a company with a revenue base of nearly $5 billion per year and access to Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1. Who owns Zuffa Boxing in 2026?
Zuffa Boxing is owned 60% by Sela (Saudi Arabia’s PIF-controlled entertainment company) and 40% by TKO Group Holdings, parent of the UFC and WWE.
Q2. Who is the chairman of Zuffa Boxing?
Turki Alalshikh, Chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority, is the Chairman of the Board of Zuffa Boxing.
Q3. Does Dana White own Zuffa Boxing?
No. Dana White serves as the promoter of Zuffa Boxing but holds no direct ownership equity in the company.
Q4. When was Zuffa Boxing founded?
Zuffa Boxing was officially founded in June 2025 by Dana White and Turki Alalshikh as a joint venture between TKO Group Holdings and Sela.
Q5. Who funds Zuffa Boxing?
Sela — backed by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) — funds Zuffa Boxing entirely. TKO has no financial obligations and earns its equity through operations.
Q6. Where can I watch Zuffa Boxing events?
Zuffa Boxing numbered events stream live and on demand on Paramount+ in the U.S., with select events also aired on Netflix globally.
Q7. What is TKO Group Holdings?
TKO Group Holdings (NYSE: TKO) is the publicly traded parent company of UFC, WWE, IMG, Professional Bull Riders, and Zuffa Boxing, reporting $4.735 billion in revenue in 2025.
Q8. Is Zuffa Boxing trying to change boxing’s laws?
Yes. TKO is lobbying for the Muhammad Ali American Boxing Revival Act, which would allow Zuffa Boxing to act as promoter, sanctioning body, and ranking authority simultaneously.
Zuffa Boxing is a joint venture owned 60% by Sela — a Saudi Arabian entertainment company controlled by the Public Investment Fund (PIF) — and 40% by TKO Group Holdings, the publicly traded parent company of the UFC and WWE. Turki Alalshikh, who chairs Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority, sits as Chairman of the Board. TKO’s Ari Emanuel, Dana White, and Nick Khan run the day-to-day promotion.
Sela provides all the funding. TKO provides all the operational expertise. And together, they are attempting the most ambitious restructuring of professional boxing since the sport’s earliest days — using the same playbook that turned the UFC from a $2 million purchase into a $4 billion global institution.
Whether they succeed or not, one thing is already clear: boxing has never seen owners — or money — like this before.