Mauricio Sulaiman Criticizes Zuffa Boxing Over WBC Branding

WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman says he has moved past the rocky introduction between the sanctioning body and Zuffa Boxing. Still, he believes one aspect of the promotion’s marketing for Ryan Garcia’s Sept. 12 fight against Conor Benn for the WBC welterweight title remains an issue.

Sulaiman questioned why Zuffa Boxing has left the WBC name out of its advertising despite promoting a fight for one of the sanctioning body’s championships.

“Look, I am over that period. I am not looking for fights. I’m looking to sit down and have a nice cup of coffee and enjoy life,” said Sulaiman to Sean Zittel. “They came in like a bully, like a bulldozer, screaming and attacking. That is not what we need in boxing. It is not about fighting, the ego, about I’m going to be here over everybody. The fight is for the WBC world championship. If a promotion is not putting WBC letters, WBC logo, WBC belt, that’s a problem.

“We are proud of the fight; we are going to sanction the fight as we sanction. I’m sure they will comply with all the rules, and let’s keep all the attention for the fighters.”

Ryan and Benn will compete for the WBC welterweight championship in one of the year’s biggest boxing events. Zuffa Boxing has promoted the matchup aggressively, with much of the attention placed on the fighters and the company’s own brand rather than the sanctioning body behind the title.

Sulaiman’s remarks highlight the different priorities between the two organizations. The WBC wants its championship prominently recognized whenever one of its belts is contested. Zuffa Boxing, meanwhile, appears determined to establish its own identity as the main attraction. That approach helped Dana White build the UFC into the dominant force in mixed martial arts, where the promotion itself often carries greater commercial value than any individual championship.

Those competing philosophies are unlikely to disappear. The WBC expects its titles to receive prominent recognition, while Zuffa Boxing appears intent on building a brand that eventually carries equal or perhaps greater weight than the traditional sanctioning bodies. Neither side appears eager to change course, leaving branding disputes as an unavoidable part of the partnership.

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