The arrival of TKO in the world of boxing has sparked numerous controversial comments and ignited a battle to defend the interests of boxers, as the new organization, aiming to revolutionize the industry, seeks to change the rules. Dana White, with his executive leadership and success as UFC President, has clear plans, but they don’t necessarily have the support of all figures in the sport.

One of the legends who shared his opinion on TKO was Juan Manuel Márquez, who can’t help but stress that boxers must not be left unprotected, while also urging others not to compare boxing to the UFC, the mixed martial arts company.

“You can’t compare a sport—and I say this with all due respect—the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship), and try to apply the UFC’s regulations to boxing, or manage things in that way,” were his words to ProBox TV when asked about his stance on the new company organizing the upcoming “Canelo” Álvarez fight.

“We need to see how they start to operate, how they want to work. I think the important thing here is to ensure protection and keep everything rooted in boxing, because that’s the core of this sport. In that sense, we must protect the boxer and do things that are worthwhile, things that the organizations also ensure provide protection,” he added.

“Boxing is boxing, and it’s not something new. It wasn’t discovered five years ago. Boxing is ancient, and in that sense, they need to evaluate whether the regulations will help the fighter and also benefit boxing as a sport.”

In this video, Juan Manuel Márquez, remembered for knocking out Manny Pacquiao with a devastating blow, was joined by World Boxing Council (WBC) President Mauricio Sulaimán, to whom he made a request as the organization’s leader: “You, as an organization, need to assess what’s coming. What’s best for the boxer, and of course, what’s best for the sport, for boxing.”

Is the WBC in favor of or against TKO Boxing?

With Mauricio Sulaimán present, ProBox TV took the opportunity to discuss this new “league,” and from his remarks, we could interpret that he is not against TKO Boxing, but he believes more details are needed about their intentions.

“There’s a lot of misinformation and lack of clarity about everything related to this new league. There is a proposal to change the law in the United States, aiming to replicate the UFC model in boxing,” said Sulaimán.

“What they’re trying to do with this new law is allow TKO to operate in boxing the way the UFC does. This is a major challenge for promoters and organizations because they aim to be the league, promoter, manager, all in one. And for the fighter, this poses a significant potential conflict of interest,” he added.

This September, Saúl “Canelo” Álvarez will face Terence Crawford in what is perhaps the most anticipated event of 2025, co-promoted by Turki Alalshikh’s Riyadh Season, marking the first event promoted by UFC CEO Dana White under the TKO brand.