WBO junior welterweight champion Shakur Stevenson has parted ways with Dana White's Zuffa Boxing, without appearing in a single fight under the promotion.
Stevenson (25-0, 11 KOs) announced the split on Monday. The move comes after discussions for a potential fight against WBO welterweight champion Devin Haney appeared to fizzle, with both fighters accusing each other of being the problem on social media.
"I've been in camp for like eight weeks, preparing for fights that I was told was going to happen and have not happened," Stevenson said. "It is what it is. This is the business of boxing. I'm not mad at anyone, I'm not pointing fingers, but upon all these issues and things that have been going on, I requested to be released from Zuffa Boxing."
A four-division champion and ESPN's No. 5 pound-for-pound boxer in the world, Steveson sent shock waves through the sport when he signed with Zuffa Boxing in July. White referred to Steveson's signing with the company, which held its inaugural event at the start of this year, as "massive." Zuffa Boxing has not yet commented on the split.
Stevenson, 29, is a former U.S. Olympic silver medalist. He is coming off a dominant win over Teofimo Lopez for the WBO 140-pound title in January.
In his announcement on Monday, Stevenson said he intends to launch his own promotion to direct his career. Last week, Stevenson and Haney argued online about what weight the fight was supposed to take place at. Stevenson said he intends to move to 147 pounds, where the likes of Haney, Ryan Garcia and a potential rematch against Lopez, but in time.
"The mission is still the same," Stevenson said. "I want the biggest and best fights at 135 and 140 pounds, where I hold my title. It doesn't matter who you put in front of me, none of these guys can beat me. Give it a year or two, we'll get to 147. Everybody is pressing me to be a 147-pounder. I will get there, but on my time and not on nobody else's."