Terence Crawford’s latest reign as an undisputed champion has proved a brief one.
The 38-year-old became a three-weight undisputed champion in September after a commanding win over Canelo Alvarez, adding to his achievements at welterweight in 2023 and super-lightweight in 2017. Whether Crawford stays at 168lbs or, as hinted, drops to middleweight remains unclear, but he now holds only three of the four super-middleweight titles.
The WBC has stripped the super middleweight belt from @terencecrawford for non payment of sanctioning fees.
— Lance Pugmire (@pugboxing) December 3, 2025
At this year’s WBC convention in Thailand –– staged from November 30 to December 5 –– the governing body confirmed Crawford had been stripped of their belt. President Mauricio Sulaiman stated that Crawford had failed to pay sanctioning fees for his last two fights and had not been in contact with the organisation since September.
The development may influence Crawford’s next move, but it has also opened the door for a new champion –– potentially a British one. With the title now vacant, the WBC has ordered interim belt-holder Christian Mbilli to face No.2 contender Hamzah Sheeraz for the full title.
Mbilli-Sheeraz promises fireworks if the fight can be made, matching the all-action Frenchman against the tall, heavy-handed Brit who dismantled Edgar Berlanga last time out. Mbilli retained his interim strap via a draw with Lester Martinez in September, a fight in which Martinez pushed him hard and his team felt they had done enough to win. Martinez now becomes the mandatory challenger for the winner.
