“Bill said he got a big announcement. I assume he’s signing with Zuffa,” Bradley said on his channel.
Dana White’s history suggests he prefers a “best vs. best” approach within his own roster. If Devin, Benn, and Hitchins are all under the same roof, Zuffa doesn’t have to deal with outside promoters like Eddie Hearn or Bob Arum to make those fights happen.
Bradley’s perspective likely comes from the idea of siloing. By signing with Zuffa, Devin might be protected from the traditional killers on the PBC or Top Rank side.
If Zuffa keeps their fighters in-house, Bradley sees it as a way to control the risk and ensure their investments, like Benn, don’t get derailed by outside contenders they can’t control.
“Part of me feels like it’s protective services. It keeps you away from fighting in high-stakes fights. They don’t have to get opponents for you,” Bradley said.
From a business standpoint, Zuffa isn’t paying Devin or Benn top dollar just to have them beat up journeymen. They need tentpole events to justify the investment.
If Devin signs, the most logical path to a massive event is putting him in there with Benn in a UK vs. US mega-fight or a technical showdown with Hitchins.
If that’s the protection Devin is getting, most fighters would take that deal in a heartbeat. It’s less about avoiding tough fights and more about centralizing the big ones.
If Zuffa builds a stable around Conor Benn, Richardson Hitchins, and potentially Devin, they are essentially creating their own shark tank.
Matching Devin against those names would be high-level matchmaking within a closed ecosystem.
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