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Molly Qerim has landed her first new role after her exit from ESPN.
Qerim is slated to be the host for Zuffa Boxing, Front Office Sports has learned. Zuffa has its first event Friday at the META Apex in Las Vegas, airing on Paramount+.
Qerim will be hosting the desk with former light heavyweight champion Antonio Tarver, insider Mike Coppinger, and longtime boxing reporter Mark Kriegel. The announce team is composed of Joe Tessitore, Max Kellerman, and former middleweight and light heavyweight champion Andre Ward. Heidi Androl, who works with UFC and NHL Network, is the ringside reporter.
The role for Qerim is a reunion with Kellerman, who she worked with for years on ESPN’s First Take. Qerim departed the program last year after hosting it for more than a decade.
Zuffa Boxing is a joint venture between TKO and Saudi entertainment conglomerate Sela. Executives working on the upstart league include Turki Alalshikh, WWE president Nick Khan, and UFC president and CEO Dana White.
“I pitched UFC to everybody and I pitched boxing to everybody. This is how it turned out, and they’re separate deals, but the relationship with Paramount already has been incredible,” White told FOS’s Eric Fisher last year when the five-year deal with Paramount, which is also UFC’s sole rightsholder, was finalized. “Right from the beginning, we’ve completely jelled, and it’s only going to get better.”
The main card Friday night features Callum Walsh vs. Carlos Ocampo, Misael Rodriguez vs. Austin Deanda, and Julian Rodriguez vs. Cain Sandoval. Prelim coverage begins at 6 pm ET and the main card starts at 9 pm ET on Paramount+.
Editor’s Note: RedBird Capital is an investor in both Paramount and in Front Office Sports through its joint venture RedBird IMI.
