In February 2026, Turki Alalshikh posted a photo holding the first Zuffa Boxing belt. Within hours, fans were calling it one of the ugliest belts boxing has ever seen.
Our workshop in Sialkot, Pakistan, has made championship belts since 2002 for gyms and promotions in the UK, USA, Australia and Europe. So we looked at this belt the way a belt maker does: plate shape, finish, stones and strap. We don’t make or sell Zuffa belts. This is an independent breakdown.
Key Takeaways
- The Zuffa Boxing belt has an octagon center plate, a matte black finish with a “Z” pattern, 70+ carats of diamonds and black pebbled leather.
- Zuffa hasn’t named the maker or published the weight. We estimate it at 1.5 kg or more.
- The IBF treated the belt as a trophy, not a world title. Zuffa now decides case by case on other titles.
- Zuffa Boxing is 60% owned by Saudi company Sela and 40% by TKO, the parent company of the UFC and WWE.
Table of Contents
What Is the Zuffa Boxing Belt?
The Zuffa Boxing belt is the championship title of Zuffa Boxing, the boxing promotion led by UFC chief Dana White. It was revealed in February 2026, and its first holder was crowned on March 8, 2026.
Zuffa released the full design details on March 5, 2026. Here’s what’s confirmed:
- Center plate: octagon shaped, with “ZUFFA” across the middle
- Side plate: one carries the name “ALI,” a nod to Muhammad Ali
- Finish: matte black metal with a repeating “Z” pattern
- Stones: more than 70 carats of diamonds
- Strap: black pebbled leather
- Branding: “Zuffa Boxing Champion”
Just as useful is what Zuffa hasn’t shared.
| Detail | Status |
|---|---|
| Diamonds | Confirmed: 70+ carats |
| Maker | Not disclosed |
| Weight | Not disclosed |
| Strap length and plate size | Not disclosed |
| Plate metal | Not disclosed |
| Black finish method | Not disclosed |
The UFC’s own belt, by contrast, is publicly credited to designer Brad Flaherty and Jae El Manufacturing. Zuffa has kept the build details private, so the rest of this guide reads the belt from a maker’s point of view.
How the Zuffa Belt Breaks From Traditional Boxing Belts
Most boxing belts follow the same basic layout. The Zuffa design keeps that layout but changes the shape at its center. For the full material breakdown, see what a boxing title belt is made of.
The Parts of a Boxing Title Belt
- Center plate: the large front plate that carries the title and logo
- Side plates: smaller plates on each side, often with flags, names or emblems
- Strap: the leather band that holds the plates. On our full-size belts, it runs 48 inches or longer.
- Snaps: the fasteners at the back that close the belt
Why an Octagon Center Plate Stands Out
Boxing center plates have leaned round or oval for decades. The octagon is the shape of the UFC’s cage and its best-known symbol, a link World Boxing News flagged on reveal day. Putting it on a boxing belt tells everyone which company runs this title.
The “ALI” side plate pulls the other way. It ties the new belt to boxing’s most famous name.
| Feature | Traditional boxing belt | Zuffa belt |
|---|---|---|
| Center plate shape | Round or oval | Octagon |
| Metal tone | Usually gold or silver | Matte black |
| Strap | Leather, often in a bright color | Black pebbled leather |
| Signature detail | Sanctioning body logo | UFC-style octagon plus “ALI” side plate |
From a workshop view, the design reads as a brand piece first and a classic boxing belt second. That’s likely why traditional fans pushed back, and also why it’s instantly recognizable.
How Would a Belt Maker Build the Zuffa Belt?
Without the maker’s notes, we can only read the belt from photos. Here’s how each part typically comes together, and how we handle the same job in our workshop.
Casting vs. Etching an Octagon Plate
There are two main ways to make a belt plate. Casting means pouring molten metal into a mold. Etching means using acid to cut a design into a flat metal sheet.
From the photos, the Zuffa center plate looks mold-cast. Cast plates still need hand-finishing after they leave the mold. WWE’s belt maker, for example, files and chisels each fresh cast plate by hand.
One limit matters for anyone wanting a copy. An accurate cast copy needs the original die, the hard master tool the mold is made from. Without Zuffa’s die, no workshop can cast a true match.
An octagon shape on its own is a different story. We’ve made octagon and other custom-shaped plates for clients as etched belts, in brass or zinc at 2mm, 3mm or 4mm thick. For our own cast designs, we use silver mold casting from our own molds.
How Metal Gets a Matte Black Finish
Metal doesn’t come out black. Workshops add the color on top, and each method wears differently. Zuffa hasn’t said which one it used. Ross Metals compares black PVD and black rhodium in more detail.
| Method | How it works | How it holds up |
|---|---|---|
| Black paint | Paint applied over the plate | Least durable; can chip, but easy to touch up |
| Black nickel plating | Dark metal layer added with electric current | Lower cost; less durable than rhodium |
| Black rhodium plating | Thin, hard rhodium layer added with electric current | Resists scratches, but wears at edges and needs replating |
| Black PVD coating | Coating bonded inside a vacuum chamber | Most scratch-resistant of these |
| Black enamel | Baked on, usually in recessed areas | Lasts well when kept in low spots |
For comparison, the gold tone on most belts, ours included, is plating over the base metal. It lasts months to years, and humidity wears it fastest. In our workshop, we use black paint for black finishes.
How 70+ Carats of Stones Get Set
Setting means fixing each stone to the metal so it stays put. Jewelers use several stone setting methods:
- Prong: small metal claws grip the stone’s edge
- Bezel: a thin metal rim wraps around the stone
- Channel: stones sit in a row between two metal walls
- Flush: the stone sinks into the metal, level with the surface
- Glue: strong adhesive holds the stone in place
Fine jewelry makers mostly rely on metal settings like prongs or channels for real diamonds. Real gems on fight belts aren’t new either, as the story behind the Mayweather vs. Pacquiao emerald belt shows. Our belts use good-quality glass stones, not diamonds, and we fix them with super glue.
Real vs. Artificial Leather Straps
Zuffa chose black pebbled leather, which has a bumpy, grained surface. We offer real or artificial leather on our belts, and we cover genuine vs. artificial leather straps in our custom belt pricing guide. Both look the same when new, but real leather lasts longer.
How Heavy Is the Zuffa Boxing Belt?
Zuffa hasn’t published the weight. Based on the size and plates shown in photos, we estimate it at 1.5 kg (about 3.3 lbs) or more.
That lines up with our full-size belt standard: a strap of 48 inches or longer and a weight of 1.5 kg or more. For context, the UFC Legacy belt is officially listed at 50 inches long, 12 inches tall and 10.45 lbs. Treat our figure as an estimate, not an official spec.
Is the Zuffa Belt a Real World Title?
It depends on who you ask. Zuffa calls it a world championship, but boxing’s major sanctioning bodies don’t recognize it.
Sanctioning bodies are the groups that rank fighters and award world titles, like the WBC, WBA, IBF and WBO. Our guide to boxing belts ranked by prestige explains each one. Here’s how the Zuffa belt’s status has played out:
- March 2026: The IBF agreed to sanction Jai Opetaia vs. Brandon Glanton only if the Zuffa belt was treated as a trophy. When Zuffa promoted the fight as a world title, the IBF withdrew its approval and vacated Opetaia’s IBF title.
- Early 2026: A Zuffa representative held informal talks with the British Boxing Board of Control about recognition. The board currently recognizes only WBC, WBA, WBO, IBF and IBO titles, and no formal request was made.
- Mid-2026: Dana White said Zuffa will decide case by case whether its fighters can chase other world titles. Zuffa then co-promoted a WBC welterweight title fight in September 2026.
Recognition matters on the buying side too. Many of the promoters and gyms we build for care whether a belt carries the look of a recognized title. For a real-world example, see every belt Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury have fought for.
What Is Zuffa? From UFC Parent to Boxing Brand
Zuffa is the company name behind the UFC. It began as Zuffa, LLC in 2001 and now also names a separate promotion, Zuffa Boxing. The word is Italian for “fight” or “brawl.”
Zuffa LLC and the UFC
- 2001: Casino executives Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta founded Zuffa, LLC in Las Vegas to buy the UFC.
- 2016: A group led by WME-IMG (later Endeavor) bought the company for $4.025 billion. The Zuffa logo left TV broadcasts, but the name stayed as the legal company name.
- 2023: The UFC merged with WWE to form TKO Group Holdings. Zuffa now holds UFC copyrights and trademarks as part of TKO.
That history is why people search Zuffa UFC together. For most of the UFC’s modern era, Zuffa was simply the company that owned it.
Zuffa Boxing
In June 2025, TKO revived the Zuffa name for a new boxing promotion built with Saudi company Sela. Its first event was Canelo Álvarez vs. Terence Crawford in September 2025.
Zuffa Boxing streams on Paramount+ under a five-year deal, with 12 cards planned for 2026. It uses only eight weight classes, with one champion in each. Zuffa Boxing and the UFC are separate companies that share a name, an owner in TKO and a leader in Dana White.
Who Owns Zuffa Boxing?
Saudi entertainment company Sela owns 60% of Zuffa Boxing. TKO Group Holdings, the parent company of the UFC and WWE, owns the other 40%, as Insider Sport reports.
| Name | Role |
|---|---|
| Sela | Majority owner (60%), backed by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund |
| TKO Group Holdings | Minority owner (40%) and day-to-day operator |
| Turki Alalshikh | Chairman; head of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority |
| Dana White | Lead promoter; UFC chief |
| Nick Khan | Promoter; WWE president |
So when people ask who owns Zuffa, there are two answers. TKO owns the original Zuffa, LLC outright, while Zuffa Boxing is a 60/40 joint venture with Sela.
What Promoters Can Learn From the Zuffa Belt
The Zuffa design shows how much a belt can say about the promotion behind it. Here’s what we take from it for gyms and promotions planning their own titles:
- Shape carries your brand. A non-round center plate, like an octagon or shield, makes a title easy to recognize. We make these through etching.
- Black finishes are doable. We produce them with black paint on etched plates.
- Big reveals change requests. After major belt launches, clients have asked us for unusual shapes and black finishes, and we’ve built them through etching.
- Plan your timeline. Custom belts take 10 to 15 working days to build after you approve the design, plus 4 to 6 days for shipping.
If you’re planning a title for your own promotion, start a custom order or read how our custom order process works. No payment is needed to submit a request, and we confirm every detail with you first.
Zuffa Boxing Belt FAQ
What does “Zuffa” mean?
Zuffa is an Italian word meaning “fight” or “brawl.” The Fertitta brothers chose it for the UFC’s parent company in 2001.
Who was the first Zuffa Boxing champion?
Jai Opetaia won the inaugural Zuffa cruiserweight title by beating Brandon Glanton on March 8, 2026, at the Meta Apex in Las Vegas.
Can you buy a Zuffa Boxing belt?
Yes. Fanatics sells an official licensed replica, listed at $499.99 as of October 2026. Ibrahim Sports doesn’t make or sell Zuffa belts.
Is Zuffa the same as the UFC?
Not exactly. Zuffa, LLC owned the UFC and still holds its rights inside TKO. Zuffa Boxing is a separate boxing company that shares the name and leadership.
Does Dana White own Zuffa Boxing?
He runs it as lead promoter, but the listed owners are Sela (60%) and TKO Group Holdings (40%).
About the author: Ibrahim Zaheer works with the team at Ibrahim Sports, a Sialkot workshop making championship belts and leather goods since 2002. Find more belt guides on the Ibrahim Sports blog.
