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World Boxing Council President Mauricio Sulaiman Stands by Jermall Charlo Amidst Inactivity Backlash Jermall Charlo, the World Boxing Council's middleweight world champion, has been out of the ring for 21 months and counting, raising concerns from some about his title position. However, WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman has expressed his unwavering support for Charlo, stating that the organization will continue to recognize him as its middleweight world champion. Sulaiman recently met with Charlo during last month's super middleweight clash between David Benavidez and Caleb Plant in Las Vegas, describing their meeting as "wonderful" and "very nice." Charlo reportedly thanked the WBC for their support amidst his personal issues. Despite backlash regarding his inactivity, Sulaiman suggests that Charlo will remain the WBC's champion. "He is our champion, and he is coming forward," Sulaiman stated. Charlo's last fight was on June 19, 2021, where he scored a unanimous decision victory over Juan Macias Montiel. Since then, he has faced criticism for his lack of activity in the ring. However, Sulaiman's support for Charlo indicates that the WBC values loyalty and recognizes the personal struggles that may affect a fighter's career. It remains to be seen when Charlo will return to the ring, but with the WBC's continued support, he can focus on his personal issues while maintaining his title position. The boxing world will be eagerly awaiting Charlo's next fight, and the WBC's stance on his title position will undoubtedly be a topic of discussion leading up to it.

Heavyweight challenger Joe Joyce is not expected to rise to the level of a "elite" fighter in the weight class, according to Matchroom promoter Eddie Hearn. Joyce lost for the first time in his career on Saturday at the Copper Box in London when Zhilei Zhang of China stopped him in six rounds. Joyce was repeatedly hit with left hands throughout the bout, which caused his right eye to close and ultimately resulted to the fight being stopped by the ringside doctor. For his skill in using heavy blows to wear down his opponents, Joyce was well-known. Due to the punishment Joyce has received throughout the years, Hearn could foresee Joyce quitting the sport. Although Joyce has the option of facing Zhang right away, it's unclear if he will actually choose to do so. “The reality is, Joe Joyce has never boxed an elite heavyweight. Zhilei Zhang is not an elite heavyweight. Joe wasn’t good enough to deal with Zhilei Zhang. When you sell your attributes based on 'you can hit me as hard as you like, and I’ll keep coming' – that’s not the recipe for longevity in a career… “He gets hit by absolutely everything, Joe Joyce. I would understand if he retired from boxing. He’s taken unbelievable punishment in sparring, in amateur tournaments and even in the professional code and it was really uncomfortable watching that on Saturday. If you can’t beat Zhilei Zhang, you have absolutely no chance of winning a world heavyweight title, no chance. If Oleksandr Usyk had boxed Joyce on Saturday night it would’ve been one of the greatest mismatches of all time. “If Zhilei Zhang is doing that to him, Usyk would have absolutely peppered him. The reality is Joe Joyce is not an elite heavyweight and you can talk about ‘Oh he’d steamroll Anthony Joshua’, do you know the speed of AJ compare to Zhang? AJ would ping him absolutely everywhere. Joe has got a massive decision now, because if he doesn’t rematch Zhang, he should retire.”

Evidently, Gervonta Davis isn't too happy on having his biggest fanbase present at the fight between him and Ryan Garcia. The ferocious southpaw from Baltimore suggested in a recent interview that he would prefer that his mother and other family members stay home on April 22 when he competes against Garcia of Victorville, California in a 136-pound match at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Showtime Pay-Per-View. Kenya Brown, Davis' mother, is frequently spotted roaring wildly at her son's fights and is a recognised figure. But in a recent interview, Davis made the suggestion that, given the anticipated "war" with Garcia, his mother might be better off staying at home. Davis has occasionally dismissed Garcia as an overblown social media product who is unfit to go off against him, but he has also made it apparent at other times that he sees Garcia as a formidable foe. “No. I don’t think so,” Davis said of bringing his family to the Garcia fight in an interview with Complex. “No, I won’t bring them there. It may be[come a war]. It may get there. It’s more so the kids and the woman at home [that won’t come to the fight]. “Even my mom has got to stay home. My mom, she’s, like, tough, but, nah. …Nah, it can get ugly—on both sides. This is a 50-50 fight. So, I got to lock all the way in.” The fight between Davis, 28, and Garcia, 24, two of the brightest names in their sport, was finally finalized following protracted discussions between their respective organizations. Garcia is promoted by Oscar De La Hoya's Golden Boy, while Davis is supported by Al Haymon's Premier Boxing Champions. The majority of bookies view Davis as the odds-favorite. In his most recent fight, Davis defeated Hector Luis Garcia in the ninth round at the Capitol One Arena in Washington, D.C. Garcia hasn't competed since he defeated Javier Fortuna in six rounds in July of last year.

Former UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker has expressed his lack of interest in a third booking with Paulo Costa for his next fight. The two were scheduled to face each other at UFC 284 in February 2023, but the fight was scrapped due to contract negotiation issues between Costa and the UFC. Costa had previously failed to show up for a match against Whittaker. The fight was scheduled in April 2021, however, Costa pulled out because of sickness, and Kelvin Gastelum took his place. Whittaker fails to regard Costa as being a trustworthy rival considering their past encounters. Whittaker, who is currently ranked #2 in the middleweight division, has been on an impressive run for a long time since 2014 only failing to capitalize against his bitter rival Israel Adesanya two times. In a recent interview, Whittaker made it clear that he's not interested in rebooking the fight with Costa, who is ranked #5 in the middleweight division. “I’m not fighting him because, mate, this is the second time I was supposed to fight him, and he’s pulled out, and it just mucks everything up,” Whittaker said on “The MMA Hour.” “I have to do a whole camp, and I make expenses and costs and everything like that to get to a point where he falls away. This is the second time he’s done it. I want a fight that’s going to happen. I want a sure thing.” Khamzat Chimaev, whose middleweight shift has been hinted at on multiple occasions following his horrific scale miss at welterweight, is another athlete who has remained in the thoughts of numerous spectators. Whittaker, meanwhile, is also not a fan of the Chechen born Swede native. “Chimaev, he’s not in the division rankings,” Whittaker said. “I’m not a huge fan of guys just sliding in fighting wherever they want. It’s a different place. Like, the rankings are there for a reason, right? I like fighting top-five guys. That’s just where I’m at. I like fighting top about five guys because they’re the guys that they’re the best of the best, and they’ve earned, worked their way through the division to get there. It is so much harder to work your way through a division than to just slide in at the top.” The public who discovers irregularities in the chances that are granted to specific individuals has often called into doubt if not openly ignored the fairness of the structure recognized as the UFC's rankings. Whittaker is aware that although having a number next to his name, it's uncertain he will face Adesanya a third time. But he won't stop striving despite it.

Former UFC featherweight title challenger Chad Mendes has announced that his upcoming fight against former UFC and Bellator lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez could be his last in combat sports. The co-main event of BKFC 41, which takes place on April 29 at Denver's 1STBANK Centre, features Mendes taking on fellow UFC veteran Eddie Alvarez. However, Mendes has made it clear that he has "zero interest" in pursuing a Bare-Knuckle Fighting Championship title after this bout. Mendes last competed in MMA in 2018 when he lost to Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 232. He then signed with BKFC and made his debut in 2021. He has been inactive since then and hasn't fought in either MMA or BKFC. The 37-year-old defeated Joshuah Alvarez impressively in his BKFC first appearance, but if his next bout doesn't bring him a sizable payday, he could hang up his gloves. “I don’t know. This honestly might be the last fight,” Mendes said in an interview with War Sports. “We’ll just kind of see how this one goes. But I mean, the plan in my mind is probably to hang them up after this. We’ve just gotta see how this fight goes, and we’ll go from there. I keep saying that, but money talks. I already told the wife this is likely to be the last one.” He continued, “If we go out there and get a quick knockout, I might toy with one more.” On the other hand, Eddie Alvarez is coming off a unanimous decision loss against Ok Rae Yoon at ONE on TNT 4 in April 2021. The 37-year-old has expressed interest in competing in BKFC and then signed in March 2023 with the promotion for a potential debut. Mendes could potentially set himself up for a championship battle with double champion Luis Palomino with a victory over Alvarez. Mendes, though, clarified that wasn't what he was wanting. Mendes and Alvarez are both known for their aggressive fighting styles and excellent grappling skills, making this an exciting matchup for fans of both MMA and BKFC. It remains to be seen if Mendes will indeed retire after this fight. Regardless of the outcome, the former UFC featherweight title challenger has left a lasting impact on the sport and will be remembered as one of the most exciting fighters of his generation.

Former UFC middleweight Sam Alvey recently disclosed that the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC) refused to pay him what he needed to go through a fight camp, instead directing him to an alternate Russian promotion. Alvey spoke ahead of his scheduled match at the B2 Fighting Series: 183 on May 27 about his conversations with BKFC to fight in their organization and their refusal to pay him what he required. He stated, "Everyone talks about bare-knuckle boxing... I said, "Hell yeah, I love boxing. I love all that. Let's freaking do it." And then they say, "Well, we're not going to pay you. We're not going to pay you much." I asked, "What will you pay me? “I need to do a camp, I need to support my family... [BKFC said] We can't pay you, but Russia, they do bare-knuckle boxing and they're looking for boxers right now." He spent about eight years in the world's leading MMA promotion, making his promotional debut in August 2014 and was released in August of last year. Sam Alvey rose to prominence after breaking the UFC's record for the longest winless streak with eight losses and one draw. On May 27, Alvey will square off against Cameron Graham. Graham has a five-win, twelve-loss record.

Ryan Garcia claims he'll stake his entire purse on his fight against favorite Gervonta 'Tank' Davis this Saturday, April 22nd, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Although Ryan stated that he is ready to have contracts set up to gamble his money, there is no way that he and Gervonta (28-0, 26 KOs) will be willing to wager on the outcome of their twelve-round Showtime PPV main event. With the amount of strength, these two have, the fight might be decided by who lands the first clean headshot. Tank is known for knocking out opponents with single shots, but so is Ryan. Given how much money these two will make, they will not want to risk it on a gamble. Here is the full conversation: Ryan Garcia: Look at all you guys. I’m all by myself. I just did the work. You guys are playing games. I put the work in already today,” said Ryan on Instagram live. “You ain’t even ready for me. You can’t even talk. You on pause right now. Shut up. I’m going to work you. What do you want to bet” Gervonta Davis: “The whole thing.” Ryan: “Yeah, I’m down.” Gervonta: “The whole purse.” Ryan: “The whole purse.” Gervonta: “That’s a bet.”

Now that he has overcome Joe Joyce, Zhang Zhilei would appreciate the chance to shock another heavyweight who is undefeated and is promoted by Frank Warren's business. A fight against WBC champion Tyson Fury, who is anticipated to return to the ring this summer, would be welcomed by the newly crowned WBO interim champion. Before China's Zhilei halted Fury in the sixth round at Copper Box Arena in London on Saturday night due to serious swelling around his right eye, Warren and Bob Arum, his co-promoter, had discussed Joyce as a potential opponent for Fury. “Let’s do that,” Zhilei said through a translator when asked about facing Fury during a post-fight interview with IFL TV. “If my team says that, let’s do that. I can go either way.” The 6-foot-6, 278-pound Zhilei predicted he would knock out Fury if given the opportunity. “Tyson Fury doesn’t have that chin,” Zhilei said. “He will go down.” Fury (33-0-1, 24 KOs) isn't the only opponent Zhilei (25-1-1, 20 KOs) gets to choose from, but he might have a commitment to fulfil under a contract. He had a rematch clause in his contract for the fight with Londoner Joyce (15-1, 14 KOs), whose team risked Joyce's status as one of Oleksandr Usyk's obligatory challengers by selecting the 13th-ranked Zhilei for an optional defence of his WBO title. According to the terms of their contracts, the rematch does not have to happen immediately away, but in the end, Joyce will decide whether he wants to face Zhilei straight away. Joyce would run the danger of Zhilei losing and never getting the rematch he is entitled to if he were to fight Fury or someone else. By defeating Joyce, Zhilei, the Olympic silver medallist from 2008, took Joyce's place as the WBO's required challenger for Usyk's WBO belt. According to the rotational system established by the IBF, WBA, WBC, and WBO, Ukraine's Usyk (20-0, 13 KOs) would be required first to make a mandatory defence of his WBA title against London's Daniel Dubois. If Usyk were to defeat Dubois (19-1, 18 KOs), who has the secondary WBA title, he would next have to face Filip Hrgovic (15-0, 12 KOs), the obligatory challenger for the IBF, before Zhilei's time as the WBO's mandatory challenger. Zhilei, who turns 40 on May 2, understands that defeating the 6-foot-6, 256-pound Joyce totally transformed his life. “This is the beginning,” Zhilei said. “I’m going for the title.”

Deontay Wilder's head trainer, Malik Scott, would want to see his fighter box Anthony Joshua, another former world champion. Joshua made his return to the ring earlier this month, defeating Jermaine Franklin in a twelve-round unanimous decision. Since he defeated Robert Helenius in the first round at the Barclays Centre in Brooklyn, New York, in October of last year, Wilder has not competed. Wilder is mulling his options at the moment, but Scott views Joshua as the fight to make right now. "I'm very, very big on Deontay fighting Anthony Joshua. I believe that it's good not just for boxing. It's good for so many reasons. It's a treat to society. I believe that Deontay fighting Anthony Joshua is that type of fight that motivates not just the little kid in the inner city that's trying to make it to the top to provide for their family, but also the businessman," Scott told IFL TV. "It's good for mankind. It would be a real tragedy if this fight doesn't happen. That's the fight I'm polling for every time someone asks me what's next for Deontay. We'll see. Deontay wants to fight. I want to fight. This whole side here wants to fight. We want to see what AJ does now. The ball is kind of in his court. We are ready." No information has been provided on Joshua's next fight. He was supposed to come back in the summer. That scenario doesn't appear to be true, since Joshua recently announced on social media that his next bout won't take place until December. 'My next fight is scheduled for December. Not ideal but everything is part of a bigger picture,' Joshua wrote on Instagram.

UFC Kansas City provided some thrilling action. However, Daniel Cormier is dissatisfied with some of the judging displayed. Cormier was calling the action from cageside at UFC Kansas City, where Max Holloway defeated Arnold Allen in the main event. The card, however, got off to a shaky start with the opening fight between Joselyne Edwards and Lucie Pudilova, in which Edwards received a decision win that many believed she didn't deserve. In the heat of the moment, Daniel Cormier did not hesitate to express his displeasure with the judging decision in the Edwards vs. Pudilova fight. During the bouts, he tweeted about how bad the night would be if those early warning signs persisted. Cormier would then follow up with a video on his YouTube channel after the event. The former UFC heavyweight and light heavyweight champion turned pundit made it obvious that, as much as he admires Joselyne Edwards, he disagreed with the judges' assessment of the fight. "Let's not even talk about (Joselyne Edwards vs Lucie Pudilova). Some of the absolute worst judging I have ever seen in my entire life," Cormier said. "I have nothing against Joselyne Edwards, but she won that fight. I don't know how she won that fight. She got beat, it is what it is."

Max Holloway, former featherweight champion of the UFC, has set his sights on his next opponent, and it's none other than "The Korean Zombie" Chan Sung Jung. After his impressive victory over Arnold Allen at UFC Kansas, Holloway expressed his desire to take on the Korean fighter. This past weekend night, Holloway competed, facing up against Arnold Allen in the Kansas City, Missouri, T-Mobile Centre. Allen put forth a solid performance, but Holloway ultimately outperformed him on the feet. By prevailing by unanimous decision, "Blessed" ended Arnold's 12-fight unbeaten run. If Holloway stays at featherweight, there remain a few new challengers he can oust like he defeated Arnold, or there are also a few experienced fighters he has yet to face in the cage. Chang Sung Jung is a fellow veteran by that name. Some of the very few fighters at the highest level of the weight category that Holloway hasn't faced is "The Korean Zombie." During the UFC Kansas City post-fight press conference, Holloway told Alex Behunin that: “Korean Zombie, that’s the only guy of my time, with the older guys, that I didn’t get to fight,” Holloway told reporters at the UFC Kansas City post-fight press conference. “I would love that fight. There’s a fight in my agents’ country, Australia. Australia is supposed to be happening sometime, we don’t know when, and if Korean Zombie wants it he can get it. I would love to fight him. That’s one of the guys I grew up watching. “I’m kind of tripping on how we didn’t fight yet. How did we not fight? If that’s one of the guys, that’s one of the guys. I would love to share the octagon with him. He’s one of the OGs that I didn’t get to fight, and we came up in the same era, and we didn’t fight each other.” After Jung was unable to unseat Alex Volkanovski for the UFC Featherweight Championship in April 2022, MMA fans originally believed they had witnessed the conclusion of Jung's professional MMA tenure. Finally, "The Korean Zombie," said on social media that, despite his inability to set long-term objectives, he would still like to engage in combat in the octagon at least once more. His intention to take part in Seoul, South Korea, was also mentioned. A fight between Holloway and The Korean Zombie would be a dream match-up for fans, as both fighters are known for their striking prowess and ability to put on exciting fights. Holloway's high-volume striking and relentless pace would be matched against The Korean Zombie's powerful punches and unorthodox style. In the meantime, Holloway can bask in the glory of his impressive victory over Allen, which saw him showcase his trademark striking skills and dominant performance over three rounds. With his sights set on The Korean Zombie, Holloway will be looking to continue to build his winning streak and make a statement in the featherweight division.

Former UFC champion Francis Ngannou and ONE Heavyweight Champion Arjan Bhullar could collide. Ngannou is still a free agent after leaving the UFC earlier this year. Ngannou is yet to sign with another MMA company three months after his tenure with the UFC ended. Ngannou plans to compete in boxing next but has been in negotiations with the PFL and ONE about maybe returning to MMA. Most likely, Ngannou might get the contractual freedom he wants from both the PFL and ONE. However, the competition level at heavyweight is undoubtedly higher in ONE than in the PFL. If Ngannou decides to sign with ONE, Bhullar would gladly accept a future title defense against him. Bhullar made his pitch to Ngannou to join ONE during a recent interview with MMA Fighting. “He’s conquered the West, let’s bring him out to the East. I have no problem with this," Bhullar said of facing Ngannou. "People are scared of him as well, but if you’re a fighter and you’re a champion, it doesn’t matter who it is, you step up. I might win, I might lose, but I will always step on that line, I will always sign the contract. I’m a man at the end of the day. "They’re nuclear bombs, I get that, but if you have a nuclear bomb and you can’t land it, what are you gonna do?" Bhullar continued. "Same thing with Anatoly. If your delivery system isn’t there to land a bomb, you can sit at home with your bomb. It means nothing. I don’t get hit. I’ve got that grappling,” Later this year, Bhullar will defend his ONE heavyweight title against Anatoly Malykhin. They were set to fight last month, but a series of issues forced the bout to be postponed.