Zuffa Boxing could be left waiting several more months to put Shakur Stevenson on Paramount+ if his proposed fight with Devin Haney takes place on DAZN PPV, as Dan Rafael reports.
“For all the ‘reporting’ about a Haney-Shakur fight supposedly being deep in negotiations, somebody directly involved told me today nothing has changed in weeks & weight remains a major issue,” Rafael posted on X. “IF it happens, I was told it would be on DAZN PPV.”
That would be a letdown for Zuffa’s broadcast partner. Paramount+ is the promotion’s broadcast home in the United States, Canada, and Latin America, but it could miss out on a major fight involving one of Zuffa’s biggest signings.
If negotiations push the Haney fight into January 2027, Shakur would be returning after roughly 12 months out of the ring. Zuffa signed him in July, yet his eventual return could give DAZN the event while Paramount+ continues waiting.
The wait might not end soon afterward. Whether Shakur wins or loses against Haney, recovery time and another training camp could push his Paramount+ debut to May or later. May would be a possible date, rather than something Zuffa could count on.
Getting his next opponent agreed could take longer still. Shakur is a good fighter, but his demands over a catchweight and rehydration restrictions have complicated the Haney talks. If those demands follow him into another negotiation, Zuffa could face another drawn-out effort to get him fighting.
Ryan Garcia would hardly look like an easy agreement if Shakur wanted a 144-pound catchweight alongside a rehydration clause. Ryan has already experienced that combination against Gervonta Davis and has spoken against accepting those restrictions again.
A victory over Haney could make Shakur’s eventual Paramount+ appearance more attractive. Zuffa could also have a promotional role in a DAZN event, depending on the arrangements. Rafael’s report does not establish those details.
Still, signing Shakur and getting him onto Paramount+ are proving to be two different tasks. If his return happens on DAZN in January, Zuffa’s broadcast partner could spend much of the following year waiting for its turn.
Shakur has also said Gary Antuanne Russell and Raymond Muratalla each want $3 million to fight him. “Zuffa gotta cough that up,” he posted on X. He didn’t say Zuffa had refused to pay, but if those are the asking prices, moving on from Haney would leave Zuffa with another expensive fight to negotiate.
Haney could be considerably more expensive. If money is an issue for Zuffa, his asking price could become another obstacle alongside the weight dispute. There is also the question of what that money would buy inside the ring. Shakur and Haney both favor defense, jabs and controlling distance. They could spend long stretches waiting for the other to attack, like two magnets repelling each other.
Jose “Rayo” Valenzuela would offer Zuffa an in-house alternative that could cost less and produce more action. Rayo would be more likely to press Shakur, giving him someone to counter rather than another fighter waiting for him to lead.
Either result would give Zuffa something to build on. A Shakur victory would get its major signing fighting again, while a Rayo upset would raise the profile of another fighter under contract. Paramount+ would get the fight, and Zuffa would have the winner. The remaining question is whether Shakur would accept that option.