Just like the old days. One world champion per weight class.
When everyone knew who the best fighter was in each weight divison. The world champion.
There was only one world champion per weight class.
Much more clear for fans and it gets rid of the annoying mandatory contenders that fans often don’t want to see fans fight. As they simply never heard of them.
Fans just want to see the best fight the best and that is what will happen this year and beyond.
Boxing has been made great again already but it will go to much greater levels again shortly. Shown to more people than ever worldwide.
Here’s 10 facts why the above can and will work:
- Zuffa Boxing can use only Ring Magazine rankings and belts/their own.
- Ring Magazine, owned by Turki Alalshikh, awards the most credible lineal title.
- Zuffa champions can hold both Zuffa and Ring belts at once.
- Fighters pursue unification fights across promotions.
- Dana White supports cross-promotion to create single champions.
- Zuffa signs fighters like Jai Opetaia who already hold Ring/lineal titles.
- Proposed Ali Act revision can limit sanctioning bodies to one title per division.
- Zuffa focuses on 12-16 high-quality events per year. Maybe more.
- Ring belt represents over 100 years of historical prestige.
- Model reduces belt confusion and rewards big, decisive fights.
They are the simple facts of why this can and will work. Zuffa and TKO are cleaning up but also taking the sport to great levels.
Just like the old days in the 1980s and before that when boxing was shown everywhere.
All the big world championship fights were always shown everywhere on television back in those days.
The same will happen again in 2026 and beyond but more online with streaming and a combinations of everything in online and tech platforms.
The power button has been hit now in boxing in 2026 and will only continue to be done so this year.
The sport really is great again but much more to do in the days, weeks and months ahead this year.
Fights all round. Happy days.
Great times for boxing again.
Roll on the Nick Ball world title fight this weekend.
