The WBC’s handling of mandatory challengers has long drawn scrutiny, especially in the case of stars like Canelo Alvarez and Tyson Fury. Despite holding mandatory status, David Benavidez never got the shot against Canelo, and the question has continued to follow both the fighter and the organization.

That situation, which cast Canelo Alvarez and the WBC in a negative light, required clarification. Speaking on Ring Champs with AK and Barak, WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman explained how rules shaped those decisions, particularly around mandatory challenges.

“Has there ever been a time?” Bess asked. “Where, because you know, sometimes the fans when they hear ‘mandatory’ but they really want another fight to happen, they’re like, ‘Oh man, why did you have to fight a mandatory?”

For example, the Ring Champs host brought up Canelo Alvarez vs. Avni Yildirim.

Acknowledging that WBC had rethought its approach to mandatory rules, Sulaiman responded, “That fight changed the WBC rules. Avni Yildirim.”

He explained that the Canelo–Yildirim situation confused fans because it appeared an undeserving challenger received a title shot.

It became controversial because a series of unusual events kept Yildirim as the mandatory challenger despite long inactivity, Sulaiman explained.

Meanwhile, title changes and weight issues involving David Benavidez left the belt vacant, but Yildirim remained next in line due to earlier rulings.

When Canelo Alvarez won the title, he was required to face Yildirim, even though he hadn’t fought in nearly two years. The result looked like a mismatch, leading to criticism and exposing flaws in how strictly mandatories were enforced.

Hearing that, Bess followed up, “So what changed? You said the rule okay, what rule?”

How the WBC made room for Canelo Alvarez and Tyson Fury

“The mandatory rule,” Sulaiman replied. “Now the rule says you have to fight your mandatory once a year, but now we have managed each weight category to make sure that no mandatory gets in the way of the best interests of the sport.”

To explain, Sulaiman pointed to the heavyweight division and the shifting paths involving Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua, and Deontay Wilder. He revisited how a potential Wilder vs. Joshua fight was being built.

That trajectory shifted after Fury defeated Wilder, moving the focus toward Fury vs. Joshua. However, plans changed again when Joshua lost to Oleksandr Usyk.

“And then finally it is done,” Sulaiman stated. “Tyson Fury against Usyk, and the WBC approves that fight and approves the rematch. And the WBC says we are not going to have a mandatory contender unless he’s of the highest level because that’s when all this Riyadh season began.”

And you look at all the heavyweight fights that have happened,” he added. “So that’s why we are managing every weight like this.”

That context brings the focus back to Benavidez.

Even with Sulaiman’s explanation, questions remain about the period when David Benavidez was positioned as Canelo’s mandatory challenger.

At the time, Benavidez was still building his profile, while Canelo controlled the super middleweight division as the undisputed champion.

He eventually moved on to face another undisputed champion in Terence Crawford.

Benavidez, meanwhile, built a separate path, becoming a champion at light heavyweight and now targeting titles at cruiserweight. He has also taken over the Cinco de Mayo slot previously associated with Canelo.

Viewed through Sulaiman’s explanation, the situation may have ultimately worked in Benavidez’s favor. But it also leaves behind a lingering question: what if that mandatory fight had actually happened?