Shakur Stevenson has a new challenger lining up, and he’s not being shy about wanting the fight.
Jose Valenzuela is calling out the four-division world champion after a dominant showing of his own, and he’s making it clear that a matchup between the two would favor him, not Stevenson.
A statement win puts Valenzuela back in the picture
Valenzuela made his debut under the Zuffa Boxing banner last weekend at 135 pounds, scoring a second-round knockout over Edwin De Los Santos. The win doubled as revenge, since De Los Santos had beaten Valenzuela by third-round stoppage back in 2022.
That victory reestablished Valenzuela as a serious name in the lightweight division, and it came at a moment when Shakur’s own future is very much up for debate.
Stevenson’s next move remains uncertain
Shakur, 29, is coming off the biggest win of his career, a unanimous decision over Teofimo Lopez in January that made him a four-division world champion and added the WBO super-lightweight title to his résumé. Despite that accomplishment, Stevenson hasn’t ruled out dropping back down to 135 pounds, where he previously made three successful defenses of his WBC title.
Reports suggest Stevenson could soon join Zuffa Boxing himself, a promotion that doesn’t currently recognize 140 pounds as an official weight class. If that move happens and Stevenson returns to lightweight, a fight with Valenzuela becomes a real possibility rather than a hypothetical one.
Why Valenzuela believes he’s the right matchup
Valenzuela didn’t hold back when describing how badly he wants the fight, saying it’s one he’s dreamed about since he was young. He believes the contrast in styles works in his favor, framing Stevenson as a boxer first and himself as a fighter first, the kind of matchup he thinks could give Stevenson real trouble.
Valenzuela’s résumé backs up his confidence. He won his WBA title in 2024 with a split-decision win over Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz, though he lost the belt the following year to current super-lightweight champion Gary Antuanne Russell. Since dropping back down to lightweight, Valenzuela appears to be positioning himself as one of Zuffa’s most important additions.
Whether the fight actually comes together depends heavily on where Stevenson lands next. But if his rumored move to Zuffa materializes, Valenzuela has already made his intentions clear, and he’s not waiting for an invitation to make his case.