Several major boxing lawsuits are active right now: British promoter BOXXER is suing Dana White’s Zuffa Boxing over the signings of two fighters, Frank Warren’s Queensberry Promotions is pursuing a claim worth up to $1 billion against Zuffa’s backers, Don King Productions has sued Ring Magazine and others over heavyweight Michael Hunter while King himself faces a $3 billion suit over a scrapped “Rumble in the Jungle” anniversary event, Ryan Garcia is being sued over a cancelled Tokyo exhibition, and Mike Tyson has filed a $50 million racketeering case against former executives of his cannabis company while defending a separate London contract suit tied to his Jake Paul fight.
BOXXER v. Zuffa Boxing
BOXXER, run by Ben Shalom, filed suit against Zuffa Boxing in June 2026 alleging unlawful contractual interference over the signings of former WBO cruiserweight champion Chris Billam-Smith and middleweight prospect Sam Hickey.1Yahoo Sports. Dana White’s Zuffa Boxing Hit With Lawsuit From BOXXER Both fighters appeared on Zuffa’s inaugural UK card at the Bournemouth International Centre on June 6, 2026.2BoxingScene. Ben Shalom Accuses Zuffa Boxing of Scandalous Conduct in Contract Dispute
BOXXER says it still held rights over both fighters when they signed with Zuffa. On Billam-Smith, the promoter alleges it had an exclusive negotiating period and a right to match any outside offer; Billam-Smith has publicly said his BOXXER contract expired at the end of 2025, an account BOXXER disputes.3Yardbarker. BOXXER Sues Zuffa Boxing Over Billam-Smith, Hickey Contracts On Hickey, BOXXER says the fighter was still under a long-term promotional contract when he signed with Zuffa in May 2026.4MMA Mania. Dana White’s Zuffa Boxing Already Hit With Lawsuit Claiming Unlawful Poaching of Two UK Fighters
BOXXER sought urgent injunctive relief asking the English courts to block both fighters from competing on the Zuffa card.5BBC Sport. Zuffa Boxing UK Debut Set To Go Ahead Despite BOXXER Legal Action The event went ahead as scheduled, though no court ruling on the injunction has been publicly reported. White dismissed the lawsuit; Shalom called Zuffa’s conduct “scandalous” and said further details would emerge in the weeks after the event.2BoxingScene. Ben Shalom Accuses Zuffa Boxing of Scandalous Conduct in Contract Dispute
Queensberry’s $1 Billion Claim Against Sela and TKO
BOXXER is the second UK promoter to take Zuffa to court this year. In February 2026, Frank Warren’s Queensberry Promotions issued letters before action against TKO Group Holdings and Sela, the Saudi-backed sports events company that co-owns Zuffa Boxing, seeking up to $1 billion in lost income.6The Athletic (The New York Times). Frank Warren, Dana White, Sela Lawsuit
Queensberry alleges that Sela bypassed a September 2023 partnership agreement under which Queensberry provided boxing expertise to Sela, and that TKO and Sela then formed Zuffa Boxing behind Queensberry’s back, cutting Warren out of a venture he had helped lay the groundwork for. Queensberry also alleges it shared proprietary online data with TKO that was used without authorization.7SI (FanNation). Zuffa Boxing Facing Second UK Lawsuit in Four Months Sela has rejected the claims as “unfounded.”6The Athletic (The New York Times). Frank Warren, Dana White, Sela Lawsuit
Why Zuffa Boxing Keeps Ending Up in Court
TKO Group Holdings, the parent company of UFC and WWE, announced its partnership with Sela in March 2025 and launched Zuffa Boxing that June, with TKO as managing partner and Sela, owned by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, providing the funding.8TKO Group Holdings. HE Turki Alalshikh and TKO Announce Launch of New Boxing Promotion in Partnership With Sela Since launch, Zuffa has aggressively acquired talent, with high-profile signings including Conor Benn, who left Matchroom Boxing in a deal reportedly worth $15 million, and junior welterweight champion Shakur Stevenson.9Boxing Insider. Dana White Targets Hearn at Zuffa Boxing 07 as BOXXER Sues Eddie Hearn, who previously promoted both fighters, has called Zuffa’s spending “unsustainable” and said the promotion is paying fighters roughly five times the market rate.10Boxing Insider. Shakur Stevenson Signs With Zuffa Boxing, Haney Still a Rumor White has said his goal is to “rip the sport apart and start to build from the ground up” and to sign nearly every top fighter within the next few years.11Sky Sports. What Next for Zuffa Boxing After UK Debut That approach is what has generated the legal backlash from Queensberry and BOXXER.
Don King Productions v. Ring Magazine, Sela, the WBA, and Michael Hunter
In late February 2026, Don King Productions filed suit in Broward County, Florida, against Ring Magazine, Sela, the WBA, Bash Boxing, Reid Boxing, Epic Sports & Entertainment, and heavyweight fighter Michael Hunter.12BoxingScene. Don King Files Lawsuit Against Ring Magazine, Sela, Michael Hunter, and WBA DKP alleges it holds exclusive promotional rights over Hunter and that the defendants conspired to organize a Hunter–Jarrell Miller fight without DKP’s authorization. The complaint describes a “coordinated, knowing campaign” and pleads civil conspiracy.13Fightful. Don King Files Lawsuit Against Ring Magazine, Sela, Michael Hunter, WBA King’s attorney said the defendants were trying to “take over and usurp the business of Don King” by exploiting the 94-year-old promoter. The Hunter–Miller fight, originally set for September 2025, was eventually canceled by Miller’s side citing “legal and regulatory reasons.”14SI (FanNation). Don King Sues Ring Magazine, WBA, Sela, More DKP is seeking preliminary and permanent injunctions along with compensatory damages, and the case remains active.
BYD Sports’ $3 Billion Claim Against Don King
King is also a defendant. In late 2024, BYD Sports and its CEO, Cecil Miller, filed suit seeking $3 billion from Don King Productions over a failed 50th-anniversary “Rumble in the Jungle 2” event.15NBC News. Don King Sued by Promoter Seeking $3 Billion Over Alleged Rumble in the Jungle Anniversary Miller says he worked with King for over a year to organize the commemorative event in Africa and had King’s blessing to proceed. King’s side tells a different story, having issued a cease-and-desist letter in November 2024 alleging that BYD falsely represented to the Nigerian government that the event carried King’s authorization.16Fortune. Boxing Don King Billion Fraud Rumble in the Jungle Ali Foreman Nigeria
The federal complaint alleges fraud, defamation, breach of contract, and tortious interference. Plaintiffs are seeking $600 million tied to the original event’s revenue, $2.4 billion in prospective damages, and a formal written apology.16Fortune. Boxing Don King Billion Fraud Rumble in the Jungle Ali Foreman Nigeria As of early 2025, a judge ordered the plaintiffs to refile and clarify jurisdictional details or risk dismissal.15NBC News. Don King Sued by Promoter Seeking $3 Billion Over Alleged Rumble in the Jungle Anniversary
Ryan Garcia’s Lawsuits
In March 2025, Florida entertainment company Fanmio sued Ryan Garcia and Golden Boy Promotions in the U.S. District Court in California over a cancelled December 2024 exhibition against kickboxer Rukiya Anpo in Tokyo.17ESPN. Fanmio Suing Boxer Ryan Garcia, Promoter Golden Boy Fanmio alleges Garcia feigned a wrist injury to withdraw despite having been paid, and accuses Golden Boy of working to sabotage the event. The complaint pleads breach of contract, fraudulent inducement, tortious interference, and unjust enrichment, and says Fanmio incurred more than $1 million in promotional expenses.18USA Today. Ryan Garcia Injury Lawsuit Boxing Garcia’s attorney has called the suit meritless.
Devin Haney had filed a separate civil suit in the U.S. District Court in New York over Garcia’s positive test for ostarine around their April 2024 fight, alleging battery, fraud, and breach of contract on the theory that he never consented to fight an opponent who had used a performance-enhancing drug.19ESPN. Devin Haney, Ryan Garcia Settle Suit, Target Rematch That case is now closed. In January 2025 the sides asked the court to pause proceedings for 90 days while they negotiated a possible rematch, and by October 2025 Haney confirmed he had dropped the lawsuit, telling the Ariel Helwani Show the litigation had been his team’s initiative and he preferred to settle matters in the ring.20Yahoo Sports. Devin Haney Says He Dropped Ryan Garcia Lawsuit, Never Wanted It in the First Place
Tyson and Flair’s $50 Million RICO Case
In December 2025, Mike Tyson, Ric Flair, the hemp company LGNDS, and Carma HoldCo filed a 76-page federal complaint in the Northern District of Illinois against four former Carma executives: former president Chad Bronstein, former CEO Adam Wilks, former chief legal officer Nicole Cosby, and shareholder James Case. Carma is the Chicago-based parent of Tyson’s “Tyson 2.0” cannabis brand and Flair’s “Ric Flair Drip” and “Wooooo! Energy” lines.21Ganjapreneur. Mike Tyson Sues Former Executives of Cannabis Brand Parent Company for $50M
The complaint alleges 21 counts, including RICO violations, wire fraud, money laundering, extortion, breach of fiduciary duty, and securities fraud. It says the former executives treated the company as a “personal piggy bank,” spending over $1 million on unauthorized personal expenses including private jets, yacht maintenance, home renovations, and lavish entertainment. One allegation claims Bronstein used roughly $15,000 in company funds to buy a watch for Los Angeles Rams coach Sean McVay without authorization.22New York Post. Mike Tyson, Ric Flair Sue Cannabis Company for $50 Million for Alleged Embezzlement Scheme The plaintiffs also allege the executives inflated the company’s share price for investors, sold licensing rights to unauthorized buyers, and paid “ghost employees” to silence critics.23Legal Newsline. Mike Tyson, Ric Flair Accuse Ex-CBD Products Partners of $50M Fraud They are seeking at least $50 million and a jury trial. Attorneys for Bronstein and Cosby have denied all allegations, calling the complaint “fiction dressed up as a lawsuit” and a “shakedown.”
Tyson’s London Breach-of-Contract Suit
Tyson is also a defendant in a separate case. In December 2024, Medier, a Cyprus-based marketing company that promotes the betting firm Rabona, sued Tyson and his company Tyrannic in London’s High Court for breach of contract.24Fox News. Mike Tyson Faces $1.5 Million Lawsuit Over Alleged Contract Violation Medier says Tyson signed a promotional deal in January 2024 and then wrongfully terminated it in March 2024 to pursue his Netflix-sponsored fight against Jake Paul. The company is seeking over $1.5 million, including roughly $800,000 for the return of fees already paid and $729,000 for wasted production costs.25Las Vegas Review-Journal. Mike Tyson Facing $1.5M Lawsuit Over Jake Paul Fight Tyson’s legal team has countered that Medier breached the agreement first by failing to obtain his approval of promotional materials.