The main reasons why Shakur Stevenson left Zuffa revealed

"Zuffa are the enemy", claims Chris Mannix

Four-weight world champion and pound-for-pound great Shakur Stevenson was forced to leave Zuffa after just three months because other promoters would not entertain working with the newcomers from MMA and also down to the list of opponents that were on offer.

Reigning WBO and Ring welterweight titlist Stevenson signed a long-term agreement with the Dana White promotion in July, but after growing tired of failing to land fights, he asked for his release in mid-October, and Zuffa obliged.

The 29-year-old from Newark announced the split on his YouTube channel on Monday, October 19, though he remained fairly vague about the circumstances surrounding his sudden departure.

The New Jersey stylist has fought just once this year, in January, registering a career-best win over Teofimo Lopez in New York to win a world title in a fourth weight class.

Boxing insider Chris Mannix has since lifted the lid on the sticky situation during a recent taping of the Mannix and Mora Podcast.

According to Mannix, the relationship began to unravel after Stevenson's primary target, Devin Haney, decided to sign an exclusive broadcast agreement with DAZN rather than join Zuffa, as expected.

"There was a time in the middle of the winter that I was told that both Devin [Haney] and Shakur were signing with Zuffa," said Mannix.

"There was a belief that they would get both guys under contract and set up a mega fight at the end of this year. Devin decided to go in a different direction...

"Devin wanted to go down the path of Keyshawn Davis, followed by Ryan Garcia and followed by Teofimo Lopez, rather than sign with Zuffa that would have led to an immediate showdown with Shakur."

Zuffa then began scrambling for opponents, but their attempts were hampered by strained ties with rival promoters, who are largely not happy with their ambitions to change boxing to just one world title.

"They found themselves in a position where there are fights that Zuffa, I think, would've been willing to pay for, but other promoters were not willing to play ball," added Mannix.

"Zuffa are the enemy of the traditional promoter; they would admit this. They are trying to take over boxing.

"So you've got all these other promoters out there who have really good fighters who had no interest in doing deals with Zuffa that would sacrifice one of their top talents to face Shakur Stevenson.

"And on that list is Raymond Muratalla... Zuffa wanted him; Top Rank wasn't about to let that happen. Gary Antuanne Russell. PBC - not about to let that happen."

In the end, Stevenson was left faced with the prospect of boxing an in-house fighter from Zuffa's thin 135lbs and 140lbs rosters.

A contest with former WBA super-lightweight champion Jose Valenzuela was the best that Zuffa could offer, and Stevenson had already made it clear that he wouldn't entertain that fight due 'Rayo's' lack of name value.

“I’m turning the fight down publicly right now just in case that they do come to the table and say, ‘Oh, we want to fight Rayo," Stevenson told ESPN just days after putting pen to paper on his Zuffa contract.

"Shakur will not be fighting Rayo. That will not be happening."