The WBC has officially pulled the plug on a proposed super middleweight title fight between Christian Mbilli and Hamzah Sheeraz.
WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman announced Tuesday that the ruling mandating Mbilli–Sheeraz has been cancelled, along with the purse bid hearing that was scheduled due to stalled negotiations.
Mbilli remains the WBC interim super middleweight champion and the sanctioning body’s top-ranked contender. With the Sheeraz fight scrapped, the WBC is now expected to pivot toward ordering a rematch between Mbilli and Lester Martinez. Their first encounter last September ended in a hard-fought draw and was later voted the WBC’s Fight of the Year for 2025.
That initial Mbilli–Martinez bout took place on the undercard of Terence Crawford’s victory over Canelo Alvarez at Allegiant Stadium. Shortly after, Crawford retired and vacated all of his super middleweight titles, leaving the WBC belt without a recognized champion. Mbilli and Sheeraz were originally designated as the fighters to fill that vacancy, with Martinez positioned as the next challenger.
For Sheeraz, the WBC decision further clarifies his path. He had been juggling three possible title routes: the WBC fight with Mbilli, a WBO bout against Diego Pacheco, and an IBF opportunity versus Osleys Iglesias. His team quickly declined the IBF option, and with Mbilli now off the table, all signs point toward a push for the vacant WBO title instead.
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