Frank Warren apparently does not want to be forced out of the new Zuffa construct. According to reports, Queensberry is preparing a lawsuit worth up to one billion dollars – Sela rejects the allegations.
In the background of the Saudi-American boxing project Zuffa Boxing, the conflict with the “old promoter guard” is coming to a head. According to a Telegraph report, Frank Warren and Queensberry Promotions are preparing a lawsuit against Sela (Saudi event company) and the TKO Group (UFC/WWE) – a claim of up to 1 billion US dollars is in the offing.
Queensberry argues that it had already concluded an agreement with Sela in 2023 to set up boxing events and provide organizational support. In this context, Sela was given insights into structures, processes and know-how. There is also said to have been a contractual connection to TKO – Queensberry considers confidential information to be “privileged” and accuses the partners of later setting up Zuffa Boxing without Warren’s involvement.
Explosive: Warren was previously a central player in Saudi boxing nights, with several of his top people becoming permanent fixtures in the Riyadh season. At the same time, the influence of the new block around Turki Alalshikh, Dana White and Nick Khan is growing – including media deals and aggressive fighter recruitment.
The opposing side counters: a Sela spokesperson spoke of “unfounded” allegations and declared that the accusations were completely rejected. Whether it comes to a high court dispute now depends on whether the parties find a settlement – or actually take the dispute all the way to judgment.
Text by Robin Josten