Molly Qerim is returning to a national sports stage with her first high-profile assignment since departing ESPN, landing a key hosting role with the newly launched Zuffa Boxing.
According to a report by Front Office Sports, Qerim will serve as the desk host for Zuffa Boxing’s inaugural event, which takes place Friday night at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and streams exclusively on Paramount+.
The move signals a notable reentry into live event television for Qerim, who spent more than a decade as the face of ESPN’s weekday debate programming.
Qerim will anchor studio coverage alongside former light heavyweight champion Antonio Tarver, boxing insider Mike Coppinger, and longtime reporter Mark Kriegel. The broadcast booth will feature a veteran trio, including Joe Tessitore, Max Kellerman, and former world champion Andre Ward. Heidi Androl will handle ringside reporting duties.
For Qerim, the assignment also marks a professional reunion with Kellerman. The two worked together for years on ESPN’s First Take, where Qerim moderated debates and steered conversations through some of the network’s most visible and polarizing moments.
She exited the show last year, closing a chapter that firmly established her as one of the most recognizable hosts in sports media.
Zuffa Boxing is a joint venture between TKO Group Holdings and Saudi entertainment conglomerate Sela, blending combat sports infrastructure with global entertainment ambitions. Oversight of the project includes influential figures such as Saudi official Turki Alalshikh, WWE president Nick Khan, and UFC president and CEO Dana White.
Zuffa Boxing recently signed a five-year agreement with Paramount, which already serves as UFC’s exclusive media partner. Friday’s debut card provides a competitive showcase designed to introduce the brand to boxing fans. The main card features Callum Walsh against Carlos Ocampo, Misael Rodriguez facing Austin Deanda, and Julian Rodriguez squaring off with Cain Sandoval. Preliminary bouts begin at 6 p.m. ET, followed by the main card at 9 p.m. ET on Paramount+.
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