WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman Deals Zuffa Boxing Its Biggest Loss

Zuffa Boxing entered the boxing world in loud fashion. Instead of easing in, the organization, backed by Turki Alalshikh and Saudi money, chose a different path.

In his trademark bombastic style, White sought to rattle cages and take over the sport. As a result, he annoyed many longtime members of the boxing community. Yet, White remained unchanged.

One of the main targets of Zuffa Boxing from the outset was the various sanctioning bodies. White initially discussed Zuffa having its own champions and rankings in an attempt to model what the UFC did. In essence, Zuffa accomplished something that time hasn't: unanimous resistance and cohesion among the organizations.

World Boxing Council president Mauricio Sulaimán grew up in and around the sport. Consequently, he is familiar with the game's dynamics. Yet, instead of matching White's hostility, he countered with timing and intellect.

Mauricio Sulaiman | IMAGO / Torsten Helmke

Taking the fight to Washington

For over two decades, the Muhammad Ali Act sought to help fighters with the same resolve as the act's namesake showed in the ring. In the last year, Zuffa has sought to push legislation that would effectively neuter sanctioning bodies and allow individual promotions to exercise deeper control over the sport. However, Sulaiman, along with lobbyists and a bipartisan Senate committee, proposed the Muhammad Ali American Boxing Revival Act.

Within the new version of the bill, promoters like Zuffa will need to deal with the four major sanctioning bodies (IBF, WBO, WBA, WBC). Plus, each of those groups can feature more than one champion per weight class. Sulaiman discussed how things changed.

"There was a motion to change the [original Ali Act of 2001], and you had an impact on promoters, fighters, and organizations, and then everything got complicated in the style it was presented, with so much aggression and so much bulldozing."

In essence, the big four, backed by the United States Senate, dealt Zuffa a loss, forcing them to cooperate. For example, when Ryan Garcia and Conor Benn fight on September 12, it will be for Garcia's WBC championship, even though Benn is a Zuffa fighter.

In the new version of the Senate bill, fighters can become free agents in three years. Instead of fights being the unit of measurement, it's time, which in an attrition-based sport like boxing means more than anything else.

That runs counter to Zuffa. White, as mentioned, prefers long contracts that limit mobility. Sulaiman accomplished something that no other enemy of White ever did: He won. Now, how will that affect Zuffa's place in boxing?

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