Hook-up with Zuffa Boxing an ‘exciting’ move for ambitious Jack Massey
Jack Massey believes his decision to sign with Zuffa Boxing will help in his quest to get back to world level.
Zuffa is the new professional boxing promotion organisation founded by Dana White, CEO of UFC, and Saudi Arabia's Turki Alalshikh.
It wants to “revolutionise” the way the sport operates using a “league style” system and “best versus best” match-making.
Massey, from Chapel-en-le-Frith, is one of several cruiserweights to sign up and will fight one of them, former British champion Cheavon Clarke, at the Bournemouth International Centre on June 6.
With Zuffa’s help, the Derbyshire fighter wants it to be the start of a busy and productive period in his career.
"It’s my first fight with Zuffa and I’ve just signed a three-fight contract, which is exciting,” he said.
“One of the main things in your boxing career is when and who you’re going to be fighting next. That’s what people are always asking and you don’t have an answer for them until six or eight weeks before the next fight. You just get a date thrown on you.
"With these guys, Dana White is so busy with UFC and Zuffa and everything else that’s going on that he has to plan out a year or two of dates, so you know when you come out of that ring when the next fight is going to be.
"That’s going to be great for me because being active is a big, big thing in boxing.”
Massey is a former European and Commonwealth champion at cruiserweight with only three losses on his professional record, all to quality opposition.
If he can take care of Clarke then the hope is that he will take on another Zuffa fighter, Chris Billam-Smith. The former world champion headlines against Ryan Roziki on the Bournemouth bill.
Massey said: "We’re the chief support and I think they are wanting something like winners-stays-on, so if Chris wins they want to make that next (for me) and if Ryan wins then similar.
"I hope Chris Billam-Smith wins and we can get through this one because that is the fight we’ve been wanting for a long time.”
Massey’s last outing was in November, when he got up from a first-round knock-down to stop Argentinean Ivan Gabriel Garcia.
At the age of 33, he is not exactly old for a cruiserweight but he can’t afford to coast either.
"We’ve still got a few more years in the tank but we need to get back up to that world level now and get back on top,” he added.