Boxxer has launched legal action against Dana White's rival boxing start-up Zuffa over claims it poached fighters set to appear on a card in Bournemouth on Saturday.
The dispute centers on former world champion Chris Billam-Smith and 2022 Commonwealth Games gold medallist Sam Hickey, with Boxxer maintaining both remain under contract to its stable. Boxxer, fronted by Ben Shalom, is pursuing injunctive relief through the courts against both Zuffa and Sky Sports, which is broadcasting the event.
Billam-Smith's bout with Ryan Rozicki is the headline fight on Saturday's card, while Hickey is on the undercard.
A Boxxer statement said the company can confirm it is seeking urgent injunctive relief against Zuffa Boxing and Sky Sports concerning the promotion and proposed participation of fighters who remain subject to binding contractual obligations to Boxxer. The statement added that Boxxer believes all parties involved are fully aware of the contractual obligations owed to Boxxer by the fighters being promoted for Saturday's event, yet those fighters continue to be advertised and promoted without Boxxer's consent.
Boxxer said that as a result of the conduct it has witnessed in recent months, it has been left with no option but to seek further relief from the English courts.
Contract dispute details
Boxxer's statement said its application seeks orders to prevent further interference with its contractual rights and business relationships, and to prevent the use of fighters who remain under binding agreements with Boxxer until those contractual issues are resolved.
Billam-Smith, who won the WBO cruiserweight world title as a Boxxer fighter in 2023, has previously said his deal with Shalom expired at the end of 2025. It was announced in April that he had signed a multi-fight deal with Zuffa, led by UFC chief Dana White and backed by Saudi Arabian funding in a push to corner the global boxing market.
Boxxer's argument is understood to be rooted in a claim that Billam-Smith's new arrangement fell within a period when Boxxer held matching rights on any offer. Its contention on Hickey is that he was still under contract when he signed with Zuffa last month.
Sky Sports and BBC ties
Zuffa and Sky Sports declined to comment. Boxxer, whose output is broadcast on the BBC, was previously tied to a four-year deal with Sky Sports. Sky opted against extending that partnership in June 2025 and signed a long-term contract with Zuffa earlier this year.
