Classification of WBC

The World Boxing Council is an international boxing sanctioning organization. With origins in Mexico, the WBC officially started sanctioning fights in 1963 in 11 countries in the Americas, plus France and England. Today, the WBC has member organizations in 164 countries and crowns boxing champions in 17 weight classes for men and 15 weight classes for women.

  1. Male Classifications

    • The WBC recognizes the following weight classifications for men (maximum weight, in pounds, in parenthesis following each weight class name): strawweight (105), light flyweight (108), flyweight (112), superflyweight (115), bantamweight (118), superbantamweight (122), featherweight (126), superfeatherweight (130), lightweight (135), superlightweight (140), welterweight (147), superwelterweight (154), middleweight (160), supermiddleweight (168), light heavyweight (175), cruiserweight (200) and heavyweight (no maximum).

    Female Classifications

    • The WBC recognizes the same weight classifications and names for women as it does for men, with the addition of an atomweight (102-pound maximum) class. While there are sanctioned fighters in the classes from middleweight up, there are rarely champions crowned in those categories, including the heavyweight category. This is due to the rarity of quality female boxers weighing more than 160 pounds.

    Muay Thai Classifications

    • The WBC also sanctions Muay Thai fights, a kickboxing-like martial art popular in Thailand. The weight classifications for Muay Thai are the same as men's boxing, with the exceptions that strawweight is omitted and the classifications above light heavyweight are as follows: cruiserweight (190), supercruiserweight (210), heavyweight (230) and superheavyweight (no maximum). Only men are currently sanctioned to fight in WBC Muay Thai matches.

    Other circuits

    • The WBC also sanctions fights within each member nation, most notably through Fecombox (Mexico) and the NABF (North American Boxing Federation). There is also a Youth Championship bracket with the same weight classes for fighters under 24 years old, and an International Championship bracket for fighters who do not have a national federation in their member state.