'New chapter' for Joe Ward as he signs three-year deal with Zuffa Boxing

Joe Ward said he's about to embark on "a new chapter" in his professional boxing career after signing a three-year deal with promotional company Zuffa Boxing, which was co-founded by Dana White, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) chief executive.

The 32-year-old light heavyweight from Moate turned professional in 2019 following an amateur career in which he competed at the Olympics and won an array of medals at European and world championships.

While he boasts an impressive professional record of 12 wins and just one defeat (subsequently avenged), Ward has been inactive for significant spells in recent times and last stepped through the ropes in Dublin in October 2024.

In an effort to secure more regular, and higher-profile, fights, Ward recently teamed up with Nomaan Ali, of the UK-based management company Goat Boxing Ltd, and this subsequently led to the opportunity to sign with Zuffa Boxing.

While only established last year, Zuffa Boxing has been attracting significant attention due to the involvement of Dana White of the UFC and his co-founder Turki Al-Sheikh of the Saudi Arabia-based General Entertainment Authority. The company is planning to promote approximately 12 'league' fight cards annually for a period of five years.

Last weekend, Cork boxer Callum Walsh improved his professional record to 16-0 with a unanimous points victory over Carlos Ocampo in Las Vegas in the headline bout at the first Zuffa Boxing event in Las Vegas.

Ward said that, under the new promotional deal, he expects to be boxing three times a year and hopes it will lead to opportunities to challenge the world's top fighters in the light heavyweight division.

He expects his first fight under the new deal to take place in either Las Vegas or the UK in April or May.

"I'm delighted because this is a huge opportunity for me," Ward told the Westmeath Independent. "I saw the first Zuffa Boxing show with Callum Walsh, the Irish boxer headlining it, and it's a huge platform.

"So now it's time for me to put the head down and really focus on being ready, and being the best version of Joe Ward that I can be.

"Now is the time to prepare and start a new chapter in my professional career. I'm confident that 2026 will be the year I make big waves."

Last June, Ward was scheduled to fight on the undercard of an open-air boxing show in Galway's Pearse Stadium but that event was cancelled just a few weeks before it was due to take place. Another fight that had been pencilled in for Oman, in the Middle East, last December also didn't materialise.

The local man said this period of inactivity has been difficult.

"It's been very tough," he said. "I've never been out of the ring this long before, so it was frustrating. It was disheartening... but I never gave up hope.

"I kept training, kept my head down and kept saying to myself that my opportunities will come if I trust in the people around me. Thankfully this opportunity has come to me, and I'm so grateful. It's huge for me, and it's great to be involved with Zuffa Boxing.

"Unfortunately (fights) haven't been happening consistently in my pro career, but I think this is the format that will give me that opportunity."