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WBC president Mauricio Sulaimán responds strongly to Nick Khan’s criticism of boxing management

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The ongoing debate about the future of professional boxing regulations has intensified recently when WBC President Mauricio Sulaimán appeared to respond to comments made by WWE President and TKO Group Holdings CEO Nick Khan.

Khan’s remarks came during a December 2025 interview with , in which he discussed TKO’s ambitions for Zuffa Boxing and criticized existing sanctioning bodies, including personal references to Sulaimán.

Nick Khan Key Quotes on

Khan questioned the practice of stripping titles for unpaid fees, citing Terence Crawford’s situation after the Canelo Álvarez fight:

“First of all, on Terence Crawford’s side… Terence Crawford won this championship unanimously. So how exactly is it that two and a half months later he is no longer the champion…? Because he didn’t pay the fee?”

“It would be like if the Los Angeles Dodgers…won a grueling seven-game World Series…It would be like Major League Baseball coming to them and saying, ‘Well, you didn’t pay us any fee, so you’re no longer a World Series champion.’ Only in the sport of boxing do you see such nonsense.

About sanction fees and the value of belts:

“3% [sanctioning fee] it’s a cash grab…wearing a green belt.”

“Belts mean nothing.”

Khan also personally commented on Sulaimán’s requests for essential events:

– By the way, the gentleman who runs this organization [misnaming it as ‘World Boxing Confederation’]… This is supposed to be a non-profit organization. Driving to Canelo-Crawford, he found he couldn’t stay in a regular hotel room. He needed an apartment. He wanted to make sure his tickets would be front row. He wanted to make sure there were enough tickets. It seems quite strange to me that sports are played this way.”

Khan supported improvements to the Muhammad Ali Act to provide fighters and promoters with alternative options.

Mauricio Sulaimán’s response to the case

During the segment, host Ariel Helwani played clips of Khan’s interview, which resulted in Sulaimán giving a detailed and animated response. He defended the WBC protocols and criticized the tone of Khan’s statements.

On Khan misnaming the organization:

“He doesn’t even know the name of the WBC… the World Boxing Confederation.”

On characterizing his comments as “low class”:

“What he’s saying… is such a low-class thing.”

Sulaimán explained the reasoning behind the WBC’s accommodation and ticket policies:

“WBC regulations state that the president gets a suite when he goes to a fight. Why a suite? It’s not supposed to be pretentious… We have meetings with people from all over the world, lots of materials… We bring activations, souvenirs to hand out in the gyms. We have staff. When I go to a fight, I have 15-20 meetings with people.”

“I don’t need tickets. I need credentials to work as a supervisor. The rules state that the WBC is entitled to a certain number of tickets. These tickets are for certain executives, certain fans or certain gyms that we give away. We have tickets to give away for every fight.”

He rejected a personal portrait:

“So trying to tell me that I’m arrogant or demanding is a low-class act.”

“I’m not interested in a popularity contest… But how low can you go to employ this as ammunition instead of talking about boxing stuff?”

Sulaimán compared the WBC model with proposed alternatives:

“The reality is completely different… Of course there are no sanctions because they take all the money. It’s ridiculous… If you compare one to the other, it’s not apples to apples.”

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Ryan Garcia wants to train with Naoya Inoue in Tokyo and broadcast it live

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Image: Ryan Garcia Wants To Train With Naoya Inoue In Tokyo And Stream It

The proposed sessions would bring together two world champions from different weight categories. Ryan currently holds the WBC welterweight title and Inoue is the undisputed junior featherweight champion.

A notable part of Ryan’s post was his willingness to stream workouts.

One of the things Ryan mentioned in his X post was his desire to stream workouts. Ryan didn’t say whether he would bring the idea to Naoya to see if he agreed with it or not, nor did he give a date when he would train with the Japanese star.

At this stage, Ryan’s comments appear to reflect purpose rather than final findings. Although he has publicly outlined the plan, Inoue has not announced any potential training session.

If training takes place, they will bring together champions separated by more than 20 pounds in weight. Ryan is fighting in the welterweight division, and Inoue is building his championship streak in the junior featherweight division.

The idea remains one Ryan hopes to implement during his visit to Tokyo, with the added possibility of giving fans a glimpse of the session via livestream.

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Tyson Fury ‘very interested’ in fighting ‘one of the most avoided heavyweights’: ‘Let’s do it’

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Tyson Fury ‘very interested’ in facing ‘one of the most avoided heavyweights’: “Let’s make it happen”

Tyson Fury is set to take part in the long-awaited clash with Anthony Joshua, but first he needs a warm-up. Now another challenger has been added to the fight, and Fury is “very interested” in the proposed fight.

The long-awaited clash between Fury and Joshua has finally been signed and will take place pending success in their tune-up fights. While Joshua is scheduled to face Kristian Prenga next month, Fury remains without an opponent for his August outing.

Promoter Frank Warren promised a “good” opponent but he recently ruled out the possibility of the “Gypsy King” facing Joshua’s former defeater Andy Ruiz Jr., who is believed to have priced himself out of the fight.

I’m talking to Play UKJoshua’s other rival, Jarrell Miller, has revealed that Fury is “very interested” in fighting him as he discusses a potential all-American clash with Deontay Wilder.

“I’ve been one of the most avoided heavyweights for a long time. We’re seeing it now. We’re trying to get Deontay Wilder out there. There’s no fight in front of him. I’m the top heavyweight in America right now, so we’re trying to make certain things happen. Let’s see if he can take control.”

“Tyson Fury is also very interested. I would love to fight these guys. Deontay or Tyson would be a wonderful fight for me. Let’s see if we can make it happen.”

Fury’s manager, Spencer Brown, recently confirmed both fighters’ desire to make the fight happen, but said Miller would likely not be able to complete a full training camp on time.

The American has already scored two victories in 2026, defeating both Kingsley Ibeh and Lenier Pero, and the 37-year-old hopes those triumphs will earn him another chance on the huge stage.

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Zuffa Boxing Dublin card confirmed for August 8 at 3Arena

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Zuffa Boxing has announced that its first event in Ireland, branded Zuffa Boxing 10, will take place on Saturday, August 8 at the 3Arena in Dublin. Organizers of the promotion, headed by Dana White, said details about the main event, joint performance and ticket sales will be announced soon.

According to the promotion, the card will be broadcast on Sky Sports in the UK and Ireland and streamed on Paramount+ in the US and Canada. Its broadcasts in the UK and Ireland are covered by a long-term contract with Sky Sports announced in March.

The expected headliner of the Cork middleweight gala will be Callum Walsh (16-0, 11 KO). according to 42 and Irish boxing, although Zuffa has not confirmed this card. Walsh won Zuffa Boxing’s debut event on January 23 in Las Vegas with a unanimous decision over Carlos Ocampo and has not fought since. The Cobh native, trained by Freddie Roach, fought mainly in the United States, but once boxed in Dublin, headlining the 3Arena gala after his victory over Przemysław Runowski.

The 42 reports that Monaghan’s Aaron McKenna (20-0, 10 KO) is set to be the main support for an IBF middleweight world title fight against Italian Etinosa Oliha (22-0, 10 KO). Both pairs are expected to fight for the vacant belt that became available after Janibek Alimkhanuly was stripped of his belt following a failed anti-doping test. McKenna is third in the IBF rankings and Oliha is second.

Dublin will be Zuffa Boxing’s second card outside the United States. The first event, Zuffa Boxing 07, will take place this Saturday at the Bournemouth International Center in England, where former world cruiserweight champion Chris Billam-Smith will face Ryan Rozicki in a 10-round cruiserweight main event.

The August 8 date means the Dublin gala will take place a week after Queensberry Promotions’ show at the same venue, headlined by Pierce O’Leary against Mark Chamberlain, with Tyson Fury scheduled to appear.

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