Filipino prizefighter Mark Magsayo (28-2, 28 KOs) is officially part of Zuffa Boxing. World Boxing News and BoxingScene were among the first outlets to report the signing, with Magsayo himself reposting on his official X account the two publications’ tweets about the move.
What Is Zuffa Boxing?
Zuffa Boxing is the professional boxing promotion launched in January 2026 by UFC CEO Dana White and TKO Group Holdings. The long-rumored promotion officially debuted at the Meta Apex (formerly the UFC Apex) in Las Vegas and has now held 3 fight cards.
The new promotion is banking on a “ground-up” approach designed to mirror the UFC’s business model, marked by consistent schedules, centralized rankings, and a focus on making the best fighters face each other regularly.
What This Means for Mark Magsayo
Signing with Zuffa Boxing represents a “new dawn” for Mark Magsayo, who will be looking at a more structured, active career phase under the TKO Group banner. By joining the Las Vegas-based promotion, the 30-year-old former WBC featherweight champion gains the stability of a guaranteed schedule, with the promotion promising at least 3 fights per year.
This move also coincides with his official permanent jump to the lightweight (135 lbs) division, a transition Magsayo believes will allow him to perform at full strength without the physical toll of extreme weight cutting.
But like any other career move, signing with Zuffa Boxing could come with a tradeoff. With White already stating he isn’t too keen on working with other promotions other than Turki Alalshikh and Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority, Mark Magsayo’s boxing circle will effectively be smaller.
Magnifico’s fight options, as a result, will also be severely limited, and he likely won’t be fighting for any of the sanctioning belts, like the WBC, WBA, and IBF. Fights with lightweight standouts such as Raymond Muratalla, William Zepeda, and even Gervonta “Tank” Davis are likely out of the question for now as well, unless these marquee names jump ship to Zuffa as well.
What’s Next for Mark Magsayo?
The good news for Magsayo is that he and cruiserweight Jai Opetaia are so far Zuffa’s only marquee signings, which means he could get a big push from the promotion. According to reports, in fact, he is already lined up for an April 5 debut and at least 3 fights in the interim.
Even so, this move is looking more like a career reboot than anything else for Mark Magsayo—but with the added pressure of being one of the faces of a new promotion.
