“I was also told that Zuffa, the fight they want upon signing both of them is them fighting each other,” said Zittel.

“What was told to me yesterday, and from what else I was told, was the Haneys want the fight, Zuffa wants the fight, the holdup is Shakur Stevenson.”

“I reached out to multiple members of Team Shakur Stevenson, tried to get word on it. Shakur’s been denying media reports for the last several weeks. So I would love to hear what Shakur Stevenson or James Prince or anybody from his team has to say that would put off what I’m hearing from sources.”

The report adds another layer to Haney’s increasingly crowded situation at welterweight. Keyshawn Davis was recently installed as the mandatory challenger for Haney’s WBO title, while Stevenson has been linked to Zuffa Boxing for weeks without publicly confirming a deal.

Neither Haney nor Stevenson has officially announced a move to Zuffa. If the reported plans become reality, however, Haney-Stevenson would immediately give the promotion one of the biggest non-heavyweight fights available in the sport and a potential centerpiece matchup for its growing roster.

The matchup has been discussed by fans for years, with both fighters carrying unbeaten records and world titles on their resumes. A fight between Haney and Stevenson would answer long-standing questions about how their styles match up inside the ring.