Young American middleweight Vito Mielnicki Jnr is departing Top Rank for new promotion Zuffa Boxing, according to a post on X by boxing journalist Dan Rafael.
The reported move comes at a dark time for Top Rank, and as Zuffa Boxing is surging into the limelight. Top Rank, founded and long run by legendary promoter Bob Arum, used to host cards broadcast on ESPN and streaming on ESPN+. But the ESPN deal expired in July, and Top Rank is yet to announce a new TV or streaming partner. As Top Rank executives search for a new host for their cards, the company’s stable of fighters have largely been in limbo, save a few fighters who have been able to get back in the ring.
Zuffa Boxing, meanwhile, is fresh off a deal with Paramount+ and CBS—and looking to sign fighters. It is backed by Saudi Arabian powerbroker Turki Alalshikh’s deep pockets and the executives who run TKO Group, including UFC head Dana White. Zuffa already commands eyeballs and headlines in its infancy.
Rafael wrote on X that Top Rank agreed to release Mielnicki to Zuffa, which is hardly a surprise given the once-powerful promotion’s struggles.
Mielnicki, 21-1 (12 KOs), might seem to some an odd early signing for a burgeoning promotion that aims to take over the sport. He is not quite a blue-chip prospect, is yet to fight a scheduled 12 rounds, and lacks the allure of an undefeated record. In six years as a professional, the 23-year-old has moved from welterweight to middleweight without leaving a significant mark on any weight class.
But Mielnicki is young, with plenty of career ahead, and fights in an action-friendly style. And he will be back soon — as Keith Idec of The Ring reported a few days ago, Mielnicki is scheduled to face Samuel Nmomah on the November 22 undercard of David Benavidez vs. Anthony Yarde, a show that is also funded by Alalshikh.
