Shakur Stevenson wants Zuffa Boxing to pay for fights against Gary Antuanne Russell or Raymond Muratalla, claiming on X that both want $3 million to face him. That would leave the promoter with a substantial opponent bill before covering its own headliner.
“Gary & Muratalla want 3ms to get in the ring with me.. I would love to fight both them guys tho Zuffa gotta cough that 💰 up!” Shakur wrote on X.
“I’m the biggest risk in the sport the Teo fight didn’t do nun but make it worst lol.”
The $3 million figures are Shakur’s account of their demands. His post does not reveal his own purse or establish how close Zuffa is to securing either opponent.
That missing number is significant. If Shakur’s payday exceeds what Russell or Muratalla would receive, Zuffa could face more than $6 million in main-event purses alone. The undercard, production, and other event expenses would increase the cost further.
Neither matchup looks like an obvious pay-per-view seller. Russell and Muratalla offer credible opposition, but neither has established himself as a major commercial attraction. Shakur has yet to demonstrate that he can consistently generate the paying audience needed to make purses at that level profitable.
The sporting appeal is easier to explain. Either opponent would give Shakur a meaningful fight at light welterweight and give Zuffa something substantial to promote. Turning that quality into enough revenue to cover the bill is the harder task.
Zuffa could still justify the expense through subscriptions, audience growth, and establishing Shakur as a regular headliner. An individual event does not necessarily have to turn a profit to serve those goals.
Even so, willingness to spend heavily does not make every asking price worthwhile. Shakur has publicly identified two opponents he would accept. Now Zuffa must decide whether the business either fight could generate supports the money required to deliver it.