{"id":436949,"date":"2026-01-27T18:18:18","date_gmt":"2026-01-27T18:18:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/436949\/"},"modified":"2026-01-27T18:18:18","modified_gmt":"2026-01-27T18:18:18","slug":"wbc-official-mandatory-status-updated-as-of-january-27th-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/436949\/","title":{"rendered":"WBC Official Mandatory Status – Updated as of January 27th, 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"

WBC Official Mandatory Status as ruled by the WBC Board Of Governors \u2013 63rd Annual Convention \u2013 UPDATED STATUS AS OF JANUARY 27 2026.<\/p>\n

DECEMBER 3, 2025, BANGKOK, THAILAND<\/p>\n

HEAVYWEIGHT\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u2013 Champion Oleksander Usyk granted a voluntary defense
\u2013 Interim champion Agit Kabayel has a title defense on January 10 in Germany vs Damian Knyba \u2013 SUCCESFUL DEFENSE BY TKO 3
\u2013 Final elimination ordered between Okolie vs Itauma \u2013 ITAUMA HAS SUSTAINED AN INJURY.<\/p>\n

BRIDGERWEIGHT<\/p>\n

\u2013 Champion Kevin Lerena mandated to fight vs Ryad Merhy
\u2013 Final elimination ordered Andrew Tabiti vs Kris Terzewski<\/p>\n

CRUISERWEIGHT<\/p>\n

\u2013 Champion Badou Jack mandatory vs Noel Mikaelyan December 13 in California. NOEL MIKAELYAN IS THE NEW WBC CHAMPION<\/p>\n

\u2013 The winner of Jack vs Mikaleyan granted a voluntary defense.
\u2013 After such voluntary champion must make 2 mandatory defenses.
\u2013 Michal Cieslak first mandatory
\u2013 Ryan Rozicki second mandatory
\u2013 Yamil Peralta vs Ilunga Makabu semifinal elimination fight.<\/p>\n

LT. HEAVYWEIGHT<\/p>\n

\u2013 Champion David Benavidez petition to fight a cruiserweight fight under WBC rules and remaining 175 lb champion granted.
\u2013 Joshua Buatsi vs Ben Whittaker ordered as final elimination bout. \u2014\u00a0 * This order has been cancelled due to silver championship obligations for Whittaker\u00a0
SUPERMIDDLEWEIGHT\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u2013 Christian Mbilli vs Hamza Sheeraz ordered for vacant title \u2013 THIS ORDER WAS CANCELLED<\/p>\n

CHRISTIAN MBILLI HAS BEEN ELEVATED FROM INTERIM TO WORLD CHAMPION.<\/p>\n

\u2013 Winner must fight mandatory contender Lester Martinez \u2013 HIS CASE WILL BE EVALUATED BY THE BOARD OF GOVERNORS.
\u2013 Luka Plantic will fight elimination bout \u00a0against the opponent determined by the WBC board after the activity of December 2025.<\/p>\n

MIDDLEWEIGHT<\/p>\n

\u2013 Champion Carlos Adames fight vs mandatory challenger Meirim Nursultanov
\u2013 Abel Ramos vs Shane Moseley jr fight for the interim title. \u2014 * Abel Ramos won the fight
\u2013 Bilal Jiktov vs Yoenli Hernandez final elimination ordered<\/p>\n

* CARLOS ADAMES WILL DEFEND VS JUSTIN WILLIAMS IN A VOLUNTARY DEFENSE JANUARY 31 IN N.Y.<\/p>\n

SUPERWELTER<\/p>\n

\u2013 Champion Sebastian Fundora vs Keith Thurman
\u2013 Interim champion Virgil Ortiz petitions a voluntary defense vs Jaron Ennis \u2013 WBC WILL REQUEST LEGAL SITUATION STATUS\u00a0
\u2013 Bakary Samake vs Hermal Hadribeaj final elimination ordered<\/p>\n

WELTERWEIGHT<\/p>\n

\u2013 Mario Barrios vs Ryan Garc\u00eda voluntary defense \u2013FEBRUARY 21 IN LAS VEGAS\u00a0
\u2013 Winner must fight Connor Benn as mandatory contender next
\u2013 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.<\/p>\n

SUPERLIGHTWEIGHT<\/p>\n

\u2013 Champion Subriel Matias vs mandatory contender Dalton Smith January 10 2025. \u2013 DALTON SMITH CONQUERED THE TITLE VIA TKO 5
\u2013 Winner must fight mandatory contender Alberto Puello next.
\u2013 Isaac Cruz defends interim vs Lamont Roach. \u2014 * Isaac Cruz drew will Lamont Roach<\/p>\n

LIGHTWEIGHT<\/p>\n

\u2013 Champion Shakur Stevenson petition to fight against Teofimo Lopez over the weight under the WBC rules and keeping the 130 lb title is\u00a0granted. \u2013 THERE IS NO RESPONSE FROM SHAKUR STEVENSON TO MULTIPLE COMMUNICATTIONS WHICH THE WBC BOARD WILL ADRESS\u00a0
\u2013 Ricardo Nu\u00f1ez vs Jadier Herrera up graded from final elimination to interim to take place January 10. \u2013 JADIER HERRERA WON THE INTERIM CHAMPIONSHIP TKO 8<\/p>\n

* On December 5 WBC took an executive decision in support of the petition presented by TGB and Top\u00a0Rank accepting to sanction the Oshaquie Foster vs Stephen Fulton fight for the interim title. The WBC Board will make a resolution \u00a0following the result of such fight. \u2014 * Oshaquie Foster won and has confirmed the WBC that he will confirm his status as Superfeatherweight champion while maintaining\u00a0specific privileges in the lightweight division.<\/p>\n

SUPERFEATHER<\/p>\n

\u2013 Champion Oshaquie Foster vs Stephen Fulton \u2014 * Oshaquie won the fight by decision.
\u2013 Mark Magsayo vs Michael Magnessi final elimination fight.<\/p>\n

FEATHER<\/p>\n

\u2013 Champion Stephen Fulton vs\u00a0Oshaquie Foster. \u2014 *Fulton lost the fight and\u00a0featherweight championship.
\u2013 Interim champion Bruce Carrington vs Cralos Castro. \u2014 * This fight will be for the WBC world championship. The winner must fight champion in recess Rey Vargas.
\u2013 Nathaniel Collins vs Cristobal Lorente final elimination ordered.<\/p>\n

SUPERBAMTAMWEIGHT<\/p>\n

\u2013 Champion Naoya Inoue vs David Picasso December 27 \u2013 INOUE DEFENDED UD 12
\u2013 Marlon Tapales vs Bryan Mercado ordered as elimination bout<\/p>\n

BANTAMWEIGHT<\/p>\n

\u2013 Juan Francisco Estrada vs Tenshin Nasukawa ordered as final elimination
\u2013 Andrew Cain vs Alejandro Gonzalez final elimination ratified<\/p>\n

SUPERFLYWEIGHT<\/p>\n

\u2013 Tomoya Tsuboi vs Ricardo Malajika ordered as final elimination- THIS ORDER HAS BEEN CANCELLED; MALAJIKA WILL FIGHT TERAJI FOR THE IBF<\/p>\n

FLYWEIGHT<\/p>\n

\u2013 Champion Ricardo Sandoval \u2013 WBC HAS ORDERED SANDOVAL VS INTERIM CHAMPION YAFAI
\u2013 Francisco Rodriguez \u00a0fights January 31 2026 and must make the flyweight category otherwise will be rated in superfly.
\u2013 Surachat Thannanchai petitioned a final elimination bout;\u00a0\u00a0President Sulaiman will administer a specific situation to consider his petition on the floor.<\/p>\n

LT. FLYWEIGHT<\/p>\n

\u2013 Carlos Ca\u00f1izalez placed as champion in recess until he can clear his possibility to travel abroad or be in position to defend in his country.
\u2013 CP Freshmart \u2013 VOLUNTARY DEFENSE IN JAPAN IN MARCH
\u2013 Eric Badillo mandatory contender to fight against the winner<\/p>\n

STRAWWEIGHT<\/p>\n

\u2013 Siyakhowa Kuse vs Joey Canoy final elimination confirmed for the mandatory.<\/p>\n

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