Zuffa Boxing has assembled an all-star broadcast team for tonight's inaugural Z01 event, featuring veteran play-by-play voice Joe Tessitore alongside analysts Max Kellerman and Andre Ward.
The stacked lineup brings decades of combined boxing broadcasting experience to Dana White's new promotion as it launches from the Meta APEX in Las Vegas, streaming at 9pm ET on Paramount+.
Broadcast Team Credentials
Tessitore served as ESPN's lead voice for Top Rank Boxing from 2002 until the partnership ended in July 2025, calling world championship fights including Tyson Fury vs. Deontay Wilder II and numerous Terence Crawford and Vasiliy Lomachenko title bouts. The Boxing Writers of America honored him with the Sam Taub Award for Broadcast Excellence in 2010, and he was inducted into the Connecticut Boxing Hall of Fame that same year. Tessitore also currently serves as WWE SmackDown's play-by-play announcer alongside Wade Barrett.
Kellerman returns to boxing broadcasting after being laid off from ESPN in June 2023. The longtime boxing voice previously served as a color commentator for HBO World Championship Boxing and was part of HBO's acclaimed announce team alongside Jim Lampley. He made his comeback at Netflix's Canelo Alvarez vs. Terence Crawford card in September 2025.
Ward brings elite fighter perspective to the booth. The undefeated former champion (32-0) retired in 2017 holding unified light heavyweight titles after defeating Sergey Kovalev twice. He won Olympic gold at the 2004 Athens Games and was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2021. Ward previously served as a boxing analyst for ESPN from 2017 until his contract expired in 2023.
Full Broadcast Lineup
Rounding out the team, former ESPN First Take host Molly Qerim will host pre- and post-fight coverage from the desk in her first job since departing the network in September 2025. She'll be joined by Antonio Tarver, Mike Coppinger, and Mark Kriegel at the desk. Heidi Androl handles ringside reporting duties, while regular UFC cage announcer Joe Martinez serves as the ring announcer.
Tonight's main event features undefeated Irish prospect Callum Walsh (15-0) against three-time world title challenger Carlos Ocampo (38-3). For the full fight card and how to watch, check out our complete Z01 preview.
The event marks the first of 12 guaranteed Zuffa Boxing cards in 2026 under the promotion's deal with Paramount, arriving one night before UFC 324: Gaethje vs. Pimblett kicks off TKO's new streaming era on Paramount+.
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