Exclusive: WBO and IBF planning convention in opposition to Zuffa Boxing

FORT WORTH, Texas – In a united defense to the attempted alterations of the federal regulations protecting boxers, the World Boxing Organization and International Boxing Federation will stage a first-ever joint convention in the fall of 2026 to emphasize why their belts matter, BoxingScene learned Friday.

Expecting the new Saudi Arabian-funded promotion Zuffa Boxing to win Congressional approval for new regulations that will allow the promotion to rank its own fighters and award its own belts while bypassing the financial disclosure rules that currently exist, the American-based sanctioning bodies will also launch an aggressive campaign to educate fighters how gaining a title belt increases their earnings in boxing’s currently free market.

Zuffa Boxing head Dana White, the CEO and President of UFC, said his new promotion does not intend to work with the four major sanctioning bodies and major promoters. 

The WBO-IBF convention will likely occur in Orlando, Florida, one official told BoxingScene. A formal announcement is expected to arrive next week.

Last month, the WBO staged its annual convention in Bogota, Colombia, and the IBF is scheduled to conduct theirs in Vietnam this spring.

The 2026 joint convention will feature unification bouts between WBO and IBF champions, who will most likely wear the North American or International version of the bodies’ belts.

The WBO and IBF will conduct joint seminars and awards sessions together at the event while working between now and then for lobbying assistance to retain – or restore – the federal protections in place for boxers.

At this point, the WBA and WBC, which have accepted sponsorship funds from Saudi Arabia boxing financier Turki Alalshikh’s Riyadh Season, are not part of next year’s affair.