Dana White’s bold declaration that Zuffa Boxing will not recognize the WBC, WBA, WBO, or IBF has drawn a swift, powerful, and measured response from the World Boxing Council.
White, appearing on Inside Ring with Max Kellerman, confirmed that his promotion intends to operate under a UFC-style model, introducing a “Zuffa belt” and dismissing the sanctioning bodies that have governed world boxing for decades.
“There will be a Zuffa belt, and there will be a Ring belt. And, yes, I will not recognize any of the other sanctioning bodies,” White said to Kellerman.
That remark immediately sparked alarm across the sport, with WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman defending boxing’s long-standing structure, its regulatory protections, and the values underpinning the sport.
The WBC responds to Dana White
Yesterday, the WBC released a powerful statement directly addressing White’s podcast comments:
“Welcome to boxing, a sport like no other, with standards and protections that MMA fighters and fans can surely benefit from. The WBC wishes Zuffa success in our sport, which is the greatest one in the world.
“Boxing is regulated worldwide by national federations and state boxing commissions, all with boxers’ safety as the top priority. Unlike MMA, boxing operates under federal law — specifically, the Muhammad Ali Act — and all promoters are required to abide by it. That law exists to protect fighters, eliminate conflicts of interest, and ensure fairness.”
Sulaiman went further, pointing to boxing’s proud global reach, its storied promoters, and its unique status as the “sport of the poor” — a profession where dignity, opportunity, and legacy matter more than monopoly control.
“A boxer is a dignified human being, not merchandise to be used to enrich just a few,” he said. “Boxers put their lives at stake in the ring, deserve the best care and protection, and must be respected, supported, and appreciated.”
The Promotional Power Structure and Zuffa’s Challenge
The established boxing ecosystem, currently dominated by promotional heavyweights such as PBC, Top Rank, Golden Boy, Matchroom, and Queensberry, relies entirely on the WBC, WBA, WBO, and IBF belts to lend legitimacy to their shows. This structure allows top fighters to negotiate massive purses based on their pursuit of undisputed status.
The most critical challenge for Zuffa Boxing will be recruitment. Without the ability to offer a traditional path to championship glory, White would have to provide purses with significantly higher than current market rates to tempt elite, top-10 fighters away from established promoters.
Furthermore, those existing promotional companies would likely shun any collaboration with Zuffa to protect their champions’ path to undisputed status, effectively isolating Zuffa’s roster. This reluctance to work with White means Zuffa Boxing would be forced to feed on only new prospects or aging veterans, severely limiting their ability to stage credible, world-level fights under their own constraints.
White’s refusal to recognize the four major belts essentially creates a self-imposed barrier to securing the world’s best talent.
White’s Contradictions
White has backtracked on his previously rumored intentions to gut the Muhammad Ali Act, now insisting it will remain “intact — but expanded.”
He told CBS Sports, “There will be zero changes to the Muhammad Ali Act. Not one word will be changed. We’re going to add to it. Fighters who want the Act exactly as it is can do that. Or they can bet on me, and fight under our version.”
Yet in the same breath, White dismissed boxing promoters as lacking vision:
“The Ali Act was put in place with good intentions, but it’s held the business back. These guys that have been in boxing for a long time — the promoters — they don’t think big enough. I think much bigger than any of them do, no matter how bad they want to compete with me.”
That contradiction — championing legal protections while simultaneously undermining the very system designed to uphold them — is precisely why the WBC has stepped forward to clarify what boxing stands for.
Ring Magazine’s Concerning Stance
Perhaps most disappointing for traditionalists was Kellerman’s reaction. Once a highly respected voice in the sport, Kellerman openly endorsed White’s vision, telling him:
“I love the fact that you’re not recognizing the sanctioning bodies, just the Ring Magazine belt as the world championship.”
This endorsement effectively aligns Ring Magazine with Zuffa, despite its recent close collaboration with the WBC, WBA, WBO, and IBF. For many, that represents a betrayal of boxing’s unified championship structure.
What’s at Stake
The introduction of a “Zuffa belt” would shatter the dream of undisputed status. With one high-profile title kept outside the traditional framework, fighters could no longer truly unify all world championships.
The WBC countered by highlighting boxing’s modern golden era, where champions like Terence Crawford, Canelo Álvarez, Oleksandr Usyk, and Naoya Inoue — along with women’s stars such as Claressa Shields and Katie Taylor — are delivering unforgettable nights around the globe.
With 176 affiliated countries, global promotional powerhouses, and thousands of fighters striving toward glory under the four-belt era, boxing remains an open and competitive marketplace, not a closed monopoly.
The Bigger Picture
The final question is where Turki Alalshikh will position himself. With Saudi Arabia investing heavily in White and now leaning on Ring Magazine for credibility, the expectation is that Alalshikh will side with Zuffa. That would put him squarely against the WBC, WBA, WBO, and IBF — the very organizations that have underpinned boxing for generations.
As Sulaiman reminded the world in Canelo’s recent voice, “Boxing is boxing, the greatest sport of them all.”
Whether Zuffa truly believes it can reshape that truth remains to be seen.
About the Author
Phil Jay is a veteran boxing journalist with over 15 years of experience covering the global fight scene. As Editor-in-Chief of World Boxing News since 2010, Jay has interviewed dozens of world champions and reported ringside on boxing’s biggest nights. [View all articles by Phil Jay] and learn more about his work in combat sports journalism.
Stay Ahead in Boxing News
Subscribe to the free WBN Newsletter for trusted updates, exclusive interviews, and fight analysis delivered daily.
Join the [World Boxing News Channel] or follow WBN on [Linktree].