Dana White’s Zuffa Boxing taps ex-world champion to headline first UK event

Chris Billam-Smith is set for his Zuffa Boxing debut in June, taking on Ryan Rozicki in a 10-round cruiserweight main event at the Bournemouth International Centre.

It will be familiar ground for Billam-Smith, who has fought there three times before. He will be looking to build some momentum after dropping his WBO title in 2024, though he did win his most recent fight.

Meanwhile, Rozicki has been in strong form since suffering his only career defeat back in 2021. However, he did have to settle for a draw with Yamil Peralta two years ago when the interim WBC cruiserweight belt was on the line.

The winner of this matchup could be in line for a title shot against Jai Opetaia, who claimed the Zuffa Boxing belt by defeating Brandon Glanton – Billam-Smith’s last opponent. While Opetaia is focused on unifying titles, defending against the winner of this fight would make sense as a next move.

Following the deal with Sky Sports, Dana White outlined plans to hold at least five Zuffa Boxing events per year in the UK. He also hinted that they could end up matching the number of UFC events next year, as growth has exceeded expectations.