Oleksandr Usyk and Dana White: Talks Begin as Zuffa Boxing Takes Shape

Oleksandr Usyk holds three heavyweight belts after surrendering the WBO following the mandatory process involving Fabio Wardley. The Ukrainian’s interest in Deontay Wilder has drawn attention, though Wilder’s recent work points to a fighter past his best years. Reports out of San Francisco point to a potential July 11 date under iV Boxing, with speculation about crowd size running ahead of any contract signatures.

But Sergey Lapin, Usyk’s camp manager, confirmed something else is moving. Talks with Dana White and Zuffa Boxing are real. No dates and no terms have been made public, but the contact exists.

“There is dialogue, and interest exists,” Lapin said. “Details aren’t for the public right now. Let’s say a few doors are open, and if format, numbers, and timing align, the market could see a move nobody expects.”

The language is careful, with nothing firm and nothing close to a signature. The possibility is being worked through, which means talks have moved forward.

White’s record with UFC is known. He took mixed martial arts from regional shows to stadium events with broadcast deals stretching across continents. The model works because it packages fighters inside a controlled structure, with one promoter, one vision, and predictable scheduling. Boxing has never operated that way, and White knows it.

“Everyone has seen what Dana White did. He turned old MMA into the global UFC machine,” Lapin said.

“There are conversations and negotiations happening with Deontay Wilder, but there are no final decisions and nothing signed at this moment. We’re moving calmly and professionally. When everything is agreed, it will be announced officially. We are only considering the biggest and most logical options, fights that truly create an event, not just another name.

“There are several top heavyweights in the conversation, but the shortlist changes depending on belts, timing, dates, and broadcast structures. Our position is simple. If it’s a fight, it has to be a big one.”

Zuffa Boxing launches Friday with Callum Walsh fighting Carlos Ocampo in Las Vegas. Jai Opetaia, the cruiserweight titleholder, is the biggest signing so far. Usyk would change the weight of the entire operation if he joined. A heavyweight holding three belts would give White instant credibility for the project.

Lapin’s comment about White’s ability to package not just a fight but an event reflects what is already understood. White builds around fighters, not for them. Whether Usyk fits inside that model depends on how much control he is willing to trade for scale.

Wilder remains in the conversation despite losing three of his last five fights. His name still draws attention, even as his defence and stamina have declined. A fight with Usyk would sell, but it would not test much. Wilder’s power remains. His footwork does not.

Lapin also mentioned Agit Kabayel as another option.

“In today’s heavyweight division, there are no safe opponents. Every top-level guy is a threat,” Lapin said. “Kabayel is definitely a possible option. We see how Germany reacts to these fights, the stadiums they can fill, and how strong that market is. Stylistically, he can be tricky too. Pressure, pace, physicality. It would be a big European fight with strong business potential.”

Kabayel is unbeaten, methodical, and durable. He pressures without overcommitting and works behind a jab that keeps opponents at range. Germany has proven it will fill arenas for heavyweight fights, and Kabayel represents a bout that carries regional appeal without demanding a unification. It is a safer commercial move than Wilder, even if it lacks the same pull.

Lapin’s careful wording indicates Usyk’s team is weighing options without rushing into anything.

White’s involvement could simplify parts of that process or complicate it further, depending on how much influence the sanctioning bodies allow him to exert. Zuffa Boxing does not yet have the infrastructure to dictate terms the way UFC does in mixed martial arts. Boxing’s fragmented ecosystem resists central control, and Usyk’s position at the top of the division makes him a target for every promoter trying to build something.

Whether Usyk ends up fighting under Zuffa Boxing, iV Boxing, or somewhere else depends on what his team values more.