There may be a bombshell allegation within the boxing world that would reshape the game’s broadcasting landscape, and it points the finger squarely at two former ESPN executives with deep ties to the UFC.
Executives with ties to the UFC at ESPN had allegedly influenced the deterioration of Top Rank’s cope with ESPN👀
A source told @BrunchBoxing “Matt Kenny and Glenn Jacobs sabotaged the ESPN deal after which left to go to Paramount and Zuffa Boxing”
With the pair gone, TR and ESPN… pic.twitter.com/7rxO34CSAb
— bharski (@hatebhar23) February 23, 2026
In keeping with a source cited by Brunch Boxing, Matt Kenny and Glenn Jacobs allegedly worked to undermine Top Rank’s longstanding television cope with ESPN before departing the network for Paramount and Zuffa Boxing, respectively. If true, the implications are staggering, a deliberate act of sabotage designed to weaken certainly one of boxing’s premier promotional outfits while concurrently positioning a rival combat sports brand for an influence grab.
The allegations paint an image of a calculated betrayal. Kenny and Jacobs, each with backgrounds tied to the UFC ecosystem, were sitting inside certainly one of sports media’s strongest institutions while purportedly steering it away from boxing and toward MMA. Critics have long suspected that UFC-aligned interests were quietly chipping away at boxing’s foothold at ESPN, and these accusations give that suspicion a human face, and two very specific names.
For Top Rank, the fallout from ESPN has been greater than only a financial inconvenience. The promotional giant, led by the legendary Bob Arum, built much of its modern identity across the ESPN platform. Losing that deal didn’t just cost the corporate airtime, it cost fighters exposure, reduced PPV build-up opportunities, and stripped the promotion of a mainstream megaphone it had used to amplify stars like Terence Crawford, Vasiliy Lomachenko, and Shakur Stevenson.
Now, with Kenny and Jacobs now not walking ESPN’s halls, the 2 sides are reportedly exploring a path back to one another. Sources indicate that each Top Rank and ESPN are in early discussions to forge a brand new partnership — a possible reunion that would breathe fresh life into the boxing-at-ESPN relationship.
🚨Rumor Report
Sources are saying that Top Rank and ESPN are in talks to reignite their partnership😳
While no agreement is imminent, sources describe the talks as positive, with ESPN actively pushing to bring boxing back into the fold
(Per: @BrunchBoxing) #Boxing pic.twitter.com/FWSFHQqwQ5
— Pound4Pound (@Pound4our4Pound) February 23, 2026
The timing is notable. With Zuffa Boxing ramping up its ambitions under the TKO banner and Paramount positioning itself as a serious combat sports player, boxing’s traditional powers cannot afford to cede any more ground. A renewed Top Rank-ESPN alliance would send a transparent message: the old guard is not going quietly.
Whether the deal gets done stays to be seen. But one thing is evident — the exits of Kenny and Jacobs could have inadvertently opened a door that each side now wish to walk back through.