The next fight for Shakur Stevenson is finally coming into focus. According to Keith Idec of The Ring, the WBO champion increasingly looks likely to make his Zuffa Boxing debut against Jose “Rayo” Valenzuela (16-3, 10 KOs) if a bout with WBO welterweight champion Devin Haney stays off the table. Nothing is signed, but with both men promoted by Zuffa the fight would be straightforward to make.
It would be a different kind of night for Stevenson. Where his recent opponents — Teofimo Lopez, William Zepeda and Josh Padley — lacked one-punch power, Valenzuela carries real danger, and the bout would likely land at light welterweight, the 140lb division where the Mexican-American already campaigns.
What’s next for Shakur Stevenson
Valenzuela rebuilt his stock with a second-round knockout of Edwin De Los Santos in their June 28 rematch in Las Vegas, avenging a 2022 stoppage loss. His obvious blemish is a one-sided defeat to WBA champion Gary Antuanne Russell in March 2025, though the 27-year-old has since bounced back with wins over Diego Torres and De Los Santos.
Russell would offer Stevenson the chance to add another belt, but Valenzuela is the cleaner fight for Zuffa to make in-house — and, crucially, it would get the notoriously choosy Stevenson active before the end of 2026 rather than idling while a bigger name is negotiated. It fits the pattern of a fighter who has turned down opponent after opponent. As Boxing News 24 notes, this one is only a possibility for now — but it is the most concrete lead yet.
