TKO and Alalshikh Launched Zuffa Boxing in 2025
On Jan. 9, 2025, reports described discussions about a boxing venture involving Turki Alalshikh and TKO executive Dana White. The partnership was not formally announced until March 5. TKO, Alalshikh and Saudi entertainment company Sela then announced a multi-year deal to establish a new boxing promotion, with White and WWE president Nick Khan overseeing day-to-day operations.
The venture became Zuffa Boxing and held its first event on Jan. 23, 2026, in Las Vegas. Callum Walsh defeated Carlos Ocampo in the main event. The official event results list the full card. The promotion is backed by TKO and Sela, with Alalshikh as a partner; the first event supplied a concrete starting point after the earlier partnership announcement.
From partnership announcement to the first card
The March 2025 announcement established TKO as the managing partner responsible for operational expertise, management and oversight. The official TKO statement described a platform intended for established boxers and developing prospects, with White and Khan anchoring its executive leadership.
At the inaugural show, the newly renamed Meta APEX hosted a boxing ring for the Walsh–Ocampo main event. Walsh won the ten-round contest by unanimous decision, with scores of 98–90, 98–90 and 97–91. The result gave the promotion an identifiable first headliner and a completed event record rather than only a proposed business arrangement.
The timeline is therefore made up of three distinct stages: preliminary discussions reported in January 2025, a formal partnership announced that March, and the opening event in January 2026.
Sources
Tags: Boxing, Combat Sports
