WBC Official Mandatory Status as ruled by the WBC Board Of Governors – 63rd Annual Convention – UPDATED STATUS AS OF JANUARY 27 2026.

DECEMBER 3, 2025, BANGKOK, THAILAND

HEAVYWEIGHT 

– Champion Oleksander Usyk granted a voluntary defense
– Interim champion Agit Kabayel has a title defense on January 10 in Germany vs Damian Knyba – SUCCESFUL DEFENSE BY TKO 3
– Final elimination ordered between Okolie vs Itauma – ITAUMA HAS SUSTAINED AN INJURY.

BRIDGERWEIGHT

– Champion Kevin Lerena mandated to fight vs Ryad Merhy
– Final elimination ordered Andrew Tabiti vs Kris Terzewski

CRUISERWEIGHT

– Champion Badou Jack mandatory vs Noel Mikaelyan December 13 in California. NOEL MIKAELYAN IS THE NEW WBC CHAMPION

– The winner of Jack vs Mikaleyan granted a voluntary defense.
– After such voluntary champion must make 2 mandatory defenses.
– Michal Cieslak first mandatory
– Ryan Rozicki second mandatory
– Yamil Peralta vs Ilunga Makabu semifinal elimination fight.

LT. HEAVYWEIGHT

– Champion David Benavidez petition to fight a cruiserweight fight under WBC rules and remaining 175 lb champion granted.
– Joshua Buatsi vs Ben Whittaker ordered as final elimination bout. —  * This order has been cancelled due to silver championship obligations for Whittaker 

SUPERMIDDLEWEIGHT 

– Christian Mbilli vs Hamza Sheeraz ordered for vacant title – THIS ORDER WAS CANCELLED

CHRISTIAN MBILLI HAS BEEN ELEVATED FROM INTERIM TO WORLD CHAMPION.

– Winner must fight mandatory contender Lester Martinez – HIS CASE WILL BE EVALUATED BY THE BOARD OF GOVERNORS.
– Luka Plantic will fight elimination bout  against the opponent determined by the WBC board after the activity of December 2025.

MIDDLEWEIGHT

– Champion Carlos Adames fight vs mandatory challenger Meirim Nursultanov
– Abel Ramos vs Shane Moseley jr fight for the interim title. — * Abel Ramos won the fight
– Bilal Jiktov vs Yoenli Hernandez final elimination ordered

* CARLOS ADAMES WILL DEFEND VS JUSTIN WILLIAMS IN A VOLUNTARY DEFENSE JANUARY 31 IN N.Y.

SUPERWELTER

– Champion Sebastian Fundora vs Keith Thurman
– Interim champion Virgil Ortiz petitions a voluntary defense vs Jaron Ennis – WBC WILL REQUEST LEGAL SITUATION STATUS 
– Bakary Samake vs Hermal Hadribeaj final elimination ordered

WELTERWEIGHT

– Mario Barrios vs Ryan García voluntary defense –FEBRUARY 21 IN LAS VEGAS 
– Winner must fight Connor Benn as mandatory contender next
– Souleymane Cissohko won a final elimination fight and is the silver champion; President Sulaiman will administer a specific situation to consider his petition on the floor.

SUPERLIGHTWEIGHT

– Champion Subriel Matias vs mandatory contender Dalton Smith January 10 2025. – DALTON SMITH CONQUERED THE TITLE VIA TKO 5
– Winner must fight mandatory contender Alberto Puello next.
– Isaac Cruz defends interim vs Lamont Roach. — * Isaac Cruz drew will Lamont Roach

LIGHTWEIGHT

– Champion Shakur Stevenson petition to fight against Teofimo Lopez over the weight under the WBC rules and keeping the 130 lb title is granted. – THERE IS NO RESPONSE FROM SHAKUR STEVENSON TO MULTIPLE COMMUNICATTIONS WHICH THE WBC BOARD WILL ADRESS 
– Ricardo Nuñez vs Jadier Herrera up graded from final elimination to interim to take place January 10. – JADIER HERRERA WON THE INTERIM CHAMPIONSHIP TKO 8

* On December 5 WBC took an executive decision in support of the petition presented by TGB and Top Rank accepting to sanction the Oshaquie Foster vs Stephen Fulton fight for the interim title. The WBC Board will make a resolution  following the result of such fight. — * Oshaquie Foster won and has confirmed the WBC that he will confirm his status as Superfeatherweight champion while maintaining specific privileges in the lightweight division.

SUPERFEATHER

– Champion Oshaquie Foster vs Stephen Fulton — * Oshaquie won the fight by decision.
– Mark Magsayo vs Michael Magnessi final elimination fight.

FEATHER

– Champion Stephen Fulton vs Oshaquie Foster. — *Fulton lost the fight and featherweight championship.
– Interim champion Bruce Carrington vs Cralos Castro. — * This fight will be for the WBC world championship. The winner must fight champion in recess Rey Vargas.
– Nathaniel Collins vs Cristobal Lorente final elimination ordered.

SUPERBAMTAMWEIGHT

– Champion Naoya Inoue vs David Picasso December 27 – INOUE DEFENDED UD 12
– Marlon Tapales vs Bryan Mercado ordered as elimination bout

BANTAMWEIGHT

– Juan Francisco Estrada vs Tenshin Nasukawa ordered as final elimination
– Andrew Cain vs Alejandro Gonzalez final elimination ratified

SUPERFLYWEIGHT

– Tomoya Tsuboi vs Ricardo Malajika ordered as final elimination- THIS ORDER HAS BEEN CANCELLED; MALAJIKA WILL FIGHT TERAJI FOR THE IBF

FLYWEIGHT

– Champion Ricardo Sandoval – WBC HAS ORDERED SANDOVAL VS INTERIM CHAMPION YAFAI
– Francisco Rodriguez  fights January 31 2026 and must make the flyweight category otherwise will be rated in superfly.
– Surachat Thannanchai petitioned a final elimination bout;  President Sulaiman will administer a specific situation to consider his petition on the floor.

LT. FLYWEIGHT

– Carlos Cañizalez placed as champion in recess until he can clear his possibility to travel abroad or be in position to defend in his country.
– CP Freshmart – VOLUNTARY DEFENSE IN JAPAN IN MARCH
– Eric Badillo mandatory contender to fight against the winner

STRAWWEIGHT

– Siyakhowa Kuse vs Joey Canoy final elimination confirmed for the mandatory.