WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman doesn’t take kindly to criticism directed at him. The recent controversy goes back to December, when WWE President and TKO board member Nick Khan appeared on The Pat McAfee Show and publicly questioned Sulaiman’s conduct. Khan’s remarks stemmed from his interactions with the WBC head during the promotion of the Canelo Alvarez vs. Terence Crawford fight, which was Dana White-led Zuffa Boxing’s inaugural event.

During the appearance, Khan openly mocked Sulaiman’s expectations, casting doubt on the WBC’s non-profit positioning. “The gentleman who runs [World Boxing Council]… [which is] supposed to be a non-profit organization…,” Khan pointed out. “[Sulaiman] couldn’t stay in a regular hotel room.” Khan went on to describe what he viewed as excessive demands from Sulaiman during the event. “He needed a suite; he wanted to make sure that his tickets were front row. He wanted to make sure there were ample number of tickets.”

Zuffa Boxing, which is supporting The Muhammad Ali American Boxing Revival Act, aims to reshape the sport by creating UBOs, implementing its own rankings, and introducing new championship belts. This structure would operate independently from traditional sanctioning bodies like the WBC. This makes friction between the two sides almost inevitable. Although Sulaiman had previously welcomed Zuffa Boxing’s involvement in the sport, Khan’s comments clearly struck a nerve.

Particularly, since the Canelo-Crawford bout involved the WBC’s super middleweight title, even though Dana White was front and centre for it. Sulaiman addressed the remarks during a recent appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show, expressing anger with Khan’s tone and intent. “What he says, it’s so low-class,” Sulaiman said. Defending his actions, Sulaiman emphasized his official role within the organization. “The WBC rules state that the president gets a suite when he goes to supervise a fight.”

He rejected the notion that such accommodations were about ego, asking Khan to consider the broader responsibilities tied to his position. “It’s not to be pretentious,” Sulaiman claimed. According to him, the suite serves a functional purpose rather than a luxurious one. “We have meetings with people from around the world. We have a lot of material… activations, souvenirs, and things that we go to give to gymnasiums,” he added. 

He also noted the workload involved in overseeing a sanctioned event, explaining that every time the WBC sanctions a fight, he attends “15-20” meetings. Sulaiman further clarified that his presence isn’t about enjoying the event as a spectator. “So I don’t need tickets. I need my credentials to work as a supervisor. The rules state that the WBC is entitled to a certain [number] of tickets,” he continued.

The WBC president also took issue with Khan’s attempt to use these demands to undermine the organization’s non-profit status. Expanding the criticism, Sulaiman aimed at Unified Boxing Organizations (UBOs), questioning their financial transparency and legal protections. “…UBO… will have all the protection from the law so that they can do everything,” Sulaiman told Helwani during the interview. 

“Like they claim there’s no sanction fees in Zuffa. Of course, there are no sanctioning fees because they take all the money. It’s ridiculous.” Since Khan’s comments, Zuffa has had its first two boxing events, which received an underwhelming reception from both experts and fans. While Sulaiman had been cordial with the promotion till now, the likes of Oscar De La Hoya and Eddie Hearn have openly criticized the perceived predatory practices Zuffa Boxing will likely bring to the sport.

Regardless, Sulaiman’s complaints against Khan weren’t limited to his comments during the interview in December.

WBC President reveals how he was treated by Dana White

Ariel Helwani is no stranger to tense relationships with the UFC, particularly with its CEO, Dana White. Given his own experiences, it likely didn’t come as much of a surprise to Helwani when he heard WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman’s accusations about his treatment surrounding the Canelo Alvarez vs. Terence Crawford fight. 

“I was mistreated so bad in Las Vegas for Canelo x Crawford…” Sulaiman told Helwani. “We were not even given a credential. We were told we could not get into the ring.” Considering that Canelo and Crawford were fighting for the WBC title, Sulaiman argued that his expectations from Zuffa Boxing were entirely justified. 

Top Stories

Who Are Shakur Stevenson’s Parents? Details About Father, Mother & Family

Dana White’s Zuffa Boxing Eyes Netflix Fights With Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua, and Canelo

Dana White Shifts Attention to Canelo, Tyson Fury, and Anthony Joshua After Missing UFC 325

Fact Check: Is Gervonta Davis Partying After Being Bailed Out of Jail?

WBC President Clears Stance on Turki Alalshikh Backed Oleksandr Usyk Match-Up After Wilder Fight Collapse

“We were given a ticket to go into the fight outside of the technical zone, just with the regular public.” Despite the alleged mistreatment, the real controversy emerged after the fight, as the WBC itself became the focus of widespread backlash. In the aftermath of the bout, the WBC stripped Terence Crawford—who won the fight—of his championship belt. 

The reason cited was Crawford’s refusal to pay the organization’s sanctioning fees. When Sulaiman made the announcement public, Crawford responded with a heated social media rant, criticizing the sanctioning body for profiting off fighters’ success. Shortly thereafter, Crawford ultimately hung up his gloves.

Sulaiman also revealed in the same interview that he does not personally earn money from serving as WBC president. Instead, he explained that his family operates businesses outside of boxing, which provide his primary source of income.

Zuffa Boxing is clearly trying to sideline the sanctioning bodies in boxing. Whether their endeavor with their new boxing league would prove fruitful is yet to be seen, but do you think it’s wise to make enemies out of pre-existing giants in the sport?