Zuffa Boxing first is official for Friday, January 23, 2026, in Las Vegas, the night before UFC 324. It’ll stream on Paramount+ under the TKO banner. Dana White’s crew plan to run 12 cards through 2026. No soft entry, just straight into the deep end.
They’re tinkering with ring design, apparently holding “big meetings” about dimensions and structure. None of that matters much until the bell rings, but it shows they’re trying to stamp their own look early. Talk about reshaping the sport is cheap; execution isn’t.
Early Zuffa Boxing Roster Takes Shape
The first signings are out: Jose Valenzuela, Radzhab Butaev, Justin Viloria, Eridson Garcia, Vito Mielnicki, and Misael Rodriguez. Decent names. Not stars yet, but all good hands if matched right.
Valenzuela’s a livewire, decent speed, dodgy gas tank. He burned out late against Gary Antuanne Russell, and that kind of fade doesn’t sit well in deeper rounds. Butaev’s rugged, not pretty. He’ll make fights messy, which Zuffa might like early on. Viloria and Garcia are raw but game. Garcia earned his shot after nicking a win off Imanaga; now he gets real lights.
If Zuffa match these lads too soft, the boxing crowd will turn quick. If they go too harsh, half their roster’s cooked before summer.
The undercard names are the experiment. They’re the ones who’ll pay for the learning curve. Fighters used to rugged, looping training camps walking into the fixated, spar-heavy world of boxing will feel the adjustment the hard way.
If they tread wrong, matchmaking or money wise, they won’t just lose shows. They’ll lose the trust of fighters who know what bad management smells like. This is a minefield with the lights on.