Shakur Stevenson inadvertently started a heated debate across combat sports last week. What’s better – boxing or UFC? While appearing on Adin Ross’ stream, the Newark native confidently handed that crown to boxing, but UFC’s No. 9-ranked welterweight, Joaquin Buckley, shot back with a hard dose of reality. Now, Daniel Cormier has gotten involved, and so has Devin Haney.

“Joaquin Buckley calling out Shakur Stevenson was the right thing to do,” Cormier had said in his YouTube video. “Shakur Stevenson said the UFC could never be boxing. Joaquin Buckley was right, it doesn’t have to be boxing because the reality is there are no big fights like there were in the past. Hey, I want to be the boxing of the 70s, 80s, and 90s. 

“There aren’t enough big events to make us go back to the days when Ali was fighting or when Tyson was fighting, or when you had the four kings. And they were all fighting each other. I’m talking even the days of Lennox Lewis being the heavyweight champion. It was different back then.”

He admitted that when Canelo Alvarez fought Terence Crawford last year in September, it was a mega event. However, he claimed that unless rising stars start fighting the best early in their career, it doesn’t excite him. Even with Crawford beating Canelo, Cormier claimed, “it is just not that fun” because ‘Bud’ was so dominant, hence not as entertaining.

According to Daniel Cormier, the UFC doesn’t have that problem. 

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“Whereas when you get to the UFC, it’s more fun,” Cormier added. “It’s more exciting. And it’s just better. And hats off to Joaquin Buckley for calling that s—t out because he should have called it out. We aren’t boxing. The UFC is better. That’s just the God’s honest truth.” 

This has now drawn the attention of WBO welterweight champion Devin Haney, who roped in Floyd Mayweather. 

“So we just forget about the Floyd era?” Haney asked on X.

Floyd Mayweather faced some of the greatest fighters of his era—Oscar De La Hoya, Miguel Cotto, Marcos Maidana, Shane Mosley, and Manny Pacquiao, among others. He headlined some of the most lucrative events in combat sports history ever, generating massive gate and pay-per-view revenue—numbers the UFC has yet to match.

Still, Devin Haney’s argument doesn’t entirely dismiss Daniel Cormier’s point. Mayweather fought elite opposition, but many fighters in today’s generation appear reluctant to face top rivals unless guaranteed extraordinary purses. Take Gervonta Davis, for example—he has yet to face Devin Haney, Shakur Stevenson, or even Keyshawn Davis.

The undisputed heavyweight clash between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk materialized largely due to the financial backing of Turki Alalshikh. A similar situation surrounds the showdown between Terence Crawford and Canelo Alvarez. But is that level of spending sustainable long-term? And over in the UFC, things may not be as ideal as Cormier suggests. 

The promotion built its reputation on consistently matching the best against the best, yet that standard doesn’t always hold today. Jon Jones never fought Tom Aspinall. Paddy Pimblett received an interim title opportunity while Arman Tsarukyan was the No. 1 contender. And there was little justification for the rematch between Alexander Volkanovski and Diego Lopes—yet it happened nonetheless.

And if, as Cormier says, UFC is so much better, why is one of their biggest stars saying this? 

Sean O’Malley proves Shakur Stevenson and Devin Haney right

Sean O’Malley recently shared his thoughts on the future of Zuffa Boxing and how he could fit into the promotion’s plans. The former UFC bantamweight champion says he’s serious about stepping into the boxing ring and believes the timing could be perfect. 

“I’m so curious where boxing is going to go,” O’Malley said on his YouTube channel. “It’s going to take [Zuffa Boxing] signing a superstar. Someone that just captivates, someone that you’re like, ‘I got to watch him fight.

“Find me a 5-0 boxer — build me up slowly. I want to be paid reasonably… A few racks to fight a 3-0, 4-0 guy on Zuffa Boxing. Suga versus Gervonta Davis, that would be sick.”

Rather than demanding an immediate blockbuster bout, O’Malley is open to a gradual build. 

So, if Cormier is right and UFC is better than boxing, why does O’Malley want to leave the promotion behind to dip his toes into boxing? And that too against Gervonta Davis. But do you agree with ‘DC’?