“There is dialogue, and interest exists,” Lapin told talkSPORT Bet “Details aren’t for the public right now. Let’s say a few doors are open and if format, numbers, and timing align, the market could see a move nobody expects.”
The language is careful. Nothing firm, nothing close to a signature. But the possibility is being worked through, which means something shifted.
What Dana White Brings
White’s record with UFC is known. He took mixed martial arts from regional shows to stadium events with broadcast deals stretching across continents. The model works because it packages fighters inside a controlled structure. One promoter, one vision, predictable scheduling. Boxing has never operated that way, and White knows it.
“Everyone has seen what Dana Whitedid. He turned “old MMA” into the global UFC machine,” said Lapin.
“There are conversations and negotiations happening with Deontay Wilder, but there are no final decisions and nothing signed at this moment. We’re moving calmly and professionally, when everything is agreed, it will be announced officially. We are only considering the biggest and most logical options, fights that truly create an event, not just another name.
“There are several top heavyweights in the conversation, but the shortlist changes depending on belts, timing, dates, and broadcast structures. Our position is simple: if it’s a fight, it has to be a big one.”
Zuffa Boxing launches Friday with Callum Walsh fighting Carlos Ocampo in Las Vegas. Jai Opetaia, the cruiserweight titlist, is the biggest signing so far. Usyk would change the weight of the entire operation if he joined. Not because he needs White, but because White needs a heavyweight with three belts to prove Zuffa Boxing isn’t just another vanity project.
Lapin’s comment about White’s ability to “package not just a fight, but an event” acknowledges what everyone already understands. White builds around fighters, not for them. Whether Usyk fits inside that model depends on how much control he’s willing to trade for scale.
Wilder, Kabayel, and the Shortlist
Wilder remains in the conversation despite losing three of his last five. His name still draws attention, even if his defense and stamina have deteriorated. A fight with Usyk would sell, but it wouldn’t test much. Wilder’s power remains, his footwork doesn’t.
Lapin mentioned Agit Kabayel as another option. “In today’s heavyweight top division there are no safe opponents, every top level guy is a threat. Kabayel is definitely a possible option. We see how Germany reacts to these fights, the stadiums they can fill, and how strong that market is. Stylistically he can be tricky too. Pressure, pace, physicality. It would be a big European fight with strong business potential.”
Kabayel is unbeaten, methodical, and durable. He pressures without overcommitting and works behind a jab that keeps opponents at range. Germany has proven it will fill arenas for heavyweight fights, and Kabayel represents a fight that carries regional appeal without demanding a unification. It’s a safer commercial move than Wilder, even if it lacks the same noise.
What Happens Next
Lapin’s careful wording suggests Usyk’s team is weighing options without rushing into anything.
White’s involvement could simplify some of that, or complicate it further depending on how much influence the sanctioning bodies allow him to exert. Zuffa Boxing doesn’t yet have the infrastructure to dictate terms the way UFC does in mixed martial arts. Boxing’s fragmented ecosystem resists consolidation, and Usyk at the top of the division makes him a target for every promoter trying to build something.
Whether Usyk ends up fighting under Zuffa Boxing, iV Boxing, or somewhere else depends on what his team values more: control or exposure. White offers the latter. The former remains negotiable.
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