Vlad Panin Is Ready For The Big Stage | Zuffa Boxing 04

Panin recently trained with then-welterweight world champion Mario Barrios to help him prepare for his recent world title fight with Ryan Garcia, but now the focus and attention turns to him as he gets ready for his Zuffa Boxing debut.

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Panin has compiled a 23-2 record, with 15 wins coming by way of knockout. His resumé put him on the radar of Zuffa Boxing’s execs, who offered “Superbad” a deal to be a part of the new organization’s welterweight division. Panin didn’t hesitate to sign, and he explained just why he took the decision to put pen to paper on a Zuffa Boxing contract.

“I think Zuffa offers so many opportunities,” he said. “I mean, first of all, the platform, Paramount+. No promoter has that platform. It's like the third or fourth most downloaded platform on the App Store, in terms of monthly subscribers. And with Dana White being the biggest name in combat sports, what he did with the UFC, I've always respected and valued what he's done with, like the marketing and, you know, just building like a billion-dollar organization.

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“So I think, if he could even do 10 percent of that with boxing, which I'm sure he can – you know, we already have this Paramount deal. We are already rocking and rolling, signing big names, and it's just a matter of time until Zuffa has their own stars that go beyond and make big, huge fights. And, yeah, it's like Dana did with Conor McGregor. I'm looking to be the next name and the face of Zuffa.”

Panin is clearly already relishing the new opportunity to build his name on a big stage, and he’s keen for people to gravitate to him as he begins his journey under the Zuffa Boxing banner.

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“I hope they learn that I'm a cool guy,” he laughed, before explaining why he hopes he can win plenty of fans through his performances in the ring. “I come prepared. I take the sport very seriously. I'm an honest fighter. I'm a man of God, and I don't cut corners. I take this training very seriously. I know that my life's at risk when I go in the ring, and I fight like it.

“So, when they tune in, they're going to see someone who's all about their craft, someone who's serious, someone who fights with that intensity, and is just looking to be the best every day.”

"It's just a matter of time before Zuffa has their own stars."

Vlad Panin is looking to be the next name & face of Zuffa Boxing.#ZuffaBoxing04 pic.twitter.com/mCfvAJQkef

— Zuffa_Boxing (@Zuffa_Boxing) March 5, 2026

That commitment to excellence came through necessity. As a youngster who was bullied at school, boxing was his only way to stand up to his tormentors, and his love for the sweet science only grew from there.

“What got me into boxing was just the desire to learn how to fight and defend myself, and I think I just wanted to stop getting my ass beat by all the kids on the school bus!” he recalled. “I moved here from Russia when I was seven, and I was a foreign kid, and then I skipped a grade, so I was like this young, skinny, foreign kid, and my mom and I were just living alone in a $500 apartment, and I was the only white kid in the neighborhood. So yeah, it definitely builds character. 

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“I know bullying is bad, but when you’re put in a position where you're not allowed to be comfortable and you're forced to grow, what are you going to do? Are you going to keep being picked on? Are you going to keep being a victim? Are you going to learn how to stand up for yourself? And that got me into boxing, because all the Mexican kids in the neighborhood, they knew how to box, and they were whupping my ass. I was like, ‘Man, I got to learn how to box,’ so I started boxing and fell in love with it and never looked back.”

Panin is now in the perfect spot to take his vocation to the next level after his earlier career struggled to get out of second gear, despite his good results.

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“What’s kept me motivated is, honestly, just faith,” he explained. “Because my career probably hasn't moved as fast as maybe some other guys have, because I didn't have a promoter, because I didn't have a platform, a lot of that I had to do myself. I didn't even have a real manager until my 20th pro fight… So I was hustling, selling tickets, no promoter, no network, just doing local shows, selling tickets, just going around gyms, talking to my friends. And thankfully, I've always had great support among my friends and stuff, and I wouldn't be able to do it without them. So, as much as I want to say I did it myself, no one does it themselves. If you look at anybody that is in a high-ranking position or position of power, anyone that's successful, you don’t realize it really takes a village for one person to become successful.

“And just the training (and) the coaching that I've had – I've been honored and lucky to be able to work with some of the greatest coaches, Hall of Famers – I think now is just a perfect time for my Zuffa debut, for my coming out party. I think the time is right now, and I'm just looking forward to taking advantage of this opportunity.”

On Sunday night, Panin faces New Yorker Shinard “Showtime” Bunch in a 10-round welterweight contest that Panin said should pose an interesting test. But, despite the pair having similar records on paper – Panin’s 23-5 (15 KOs) versus Bunch’s 22-3-1, 1 NC (18 KOs) – Panin said he will have the edge on fight night.

“I think he's skilled,” said Panin. “I think he's a good boxer... I’m not going to take anything away from him. I know he's a good boxer, and sometimes you'll find a guy who's tough but not skilled, and I think he's got good skills. But I don't think his skills are as good as mine… I'm just gonna show that I have 10 rounds to get the job done, and I think that'll be more than enough time. I just know, no matter what, I'm just a better boxer. I think I'm bigger, I’m longer, stronger, I have great speed, good jab, and I think that makes it difficult, no matter who I’m fighting.”

And when all’s said and done, Panin hopes fans and pundits alike will be waxing lyrical about his potential in Zuffa Boxing’s welterweight division.

“I hope people are saying like, ‘Wow, that guy's really good, and he's gonna give a lot of guys in this weight division problems, and I can't wait to see him in these big fights,” he said.

‘I can't wait to see him in the mix with these guys. You better be ready for Vlad Panin because he's coming.’”