Mauricio Sulaiman, President of the World Boxing Council (WBC), has voiced his support for WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury’s upcoming fight with former UFC heavyweight titleholder Francis Ngannou. Scheduled for October 28th in Saudi Arabia, this non-title bout will mark Fury's return to the ring after an almost year-long hiatus since his triumphant victory over Derek Chisora in December of last year.
Despite criticism over Fury’s decision to face an opponent with scant boxing experience, the WBC has firmly stood by the heavyweight champion. According to Sulaiman, Fury has made several attempts to arrange fights with notable boxing figures such as Oleksandr Usyk, Anthony Joshua, and Andy Ruiz, but without a mandatory contender on his radar, Fury has chosen to take on this unique challenge.
Sulaiman communicated the WBC’s stance to Sky Sports, stating, “The WBC is absolutely supportive of Tyson Fury and his decision to engage in a non-title bout and a WBC special event contest... and not having a mandatory contender he may engage in this type of event under the WBC rules.”
Last year, the WBC mandated a final eliminator between Deontay Wilder and Andy Ruiz. However, due to various reasons, the two former champions have not yet managed to finalize the deal. Sulaiman expressed his optimism for a resolution, acknowledging that Wilder vs. Ruiz would undoubtedly offer the strongest mandatory contender. He hinted at the possible need for new rulings if no agreement is reached between the two camps, stating, “If such is not materialized then we will have to cancel such order and create a new ruling.”
Image Credit: Sky Sports