Promoter claims exclusive Saudi agreement was bypassed in forming Zuffa Boxing
Frank Warren has launched a potential $1 billion legal claim against TKO Group Holdings and Sela over the formation of Zuffa Boxing. Queensberry alleges prior exclusive agreements were bypassed in building the Saudi-backed venture.
Queensberry Promotions has sent formal letters before action to TKO Group Holdings and Sela, the Saudi events company chaired by Turki Alalshikh. The figure attached to the claim reaches as high as $1 billion in alleged lost revenue.
At the center is Zuffa Boxing, the joint venture fronted by Dana White and Alalshikh. Queensberry’s position is that it entered an exclusive operational agreement with Sela in September 2023 to provide boxing expertise as the Saudi-owned group expanded into the sport. Warren’s company also claims it had a separate agreement with TKO granting access to Queensberry data and to the Sela relationship.
Queensberry alleges that information from those arrangements was later used to form Zuffa Boxing without honoring prior commitments. Queensberry argues it was excluded from a long-term commercial structure covering media rights, event revenue, and centralized control of Saudi-backed fight projects.
Billion-Dollar Claim Puts Saudi-TKO Structure Under Legal Pressure
Zuffa Boxing is structured as a joint initiative between TKO and Sela. Dana White oversees the project on a day-to-day basis while continuing as UFC president. Nick Khan, WWE president and TKO board member, is publicly aligned with the venture.
Alalshikh previously worked closely with Warren on high-profile UK cards under the Riyadh Season banner. That partnership has broken down. Warren’s team argues that Saudi-linked entities realigned with TKO and Dana White in a manner that sidelined Queensberry’s existing position within the project.
Reports indicate Zuffa Boxing is pursuing multi-year media agreements valued in the hundreds of millions, including talks with major US and UK platforms. That projected valuation underpins the $1 billion estimate. Queensberry contends that exclusion from the venture denies it participation in a revenue stream that could run for several years.
Sela has called the claims unfounded and said it will defend itself. TKO has not issued a detailed legal response, though internal messaging has explained Zuffa Boxing as a valid standalone venture created under corporate authority.
If the dispute advances to court, the focus will likely turn to the September 2023 Sela agreement, the TKO data-sharing arrangement, and whether confidential information was used in structuring Zuffa Boxing.
The case also carries broader implications. Saudi-backed events now sit at the center of major heavyweight and title fights. A prolonged legal fight could slow negotiations across the calendar if promoters and broadcasters grow cautious about contractual exposure.
Warren is betting that exclusivity and data rights hold up under scrutiny. If he succeeds, it restricts how Saudi-funded boxing ventures can structure exclusivity and data agreements. If he does not, the Zuffa-TKO structure gains clear runway to push deeper into championship territory.