> WBC Muaythai

WBC Muaythai (World Boxing Council MuayThai) is the Muay Thai sanctioning arm of the World Boxing Council, established at the WBC Convention on Phuket Island in October 2004. Its founding was inspired by a 2001 meeting between then-WBC President Dr. Jose Sulaiman and the King of Thailand. The organization is headquartered in Bangkok and is led by Lifetime President Police General Kovid Bhakdibhumi. Its stated mission is to rate fighters worldwide, sanction championship bouts, and promote the sport and culture of Muay Thai as “Thai Heritage – World Heritage.”

WBC Muaythai operates as an affiliate organization of the World Boxing Council rather than a fully independent body — it carries the WBC brand, follows WBC governance frameworks, and the relationship is analogous to how the WBC sanctions professional boxing across multiple weight classes worldwide. The main WBC boxing organization (see world-boxing-council.mdx) is a Mexico City-based sanctioning body founded in 1963 with 161 member countries; its noted extension into Muay Thai through this affiliate body reflects the WBC’s broader effort to expand its sanctioning footprint across combat sports disciplines. WBC Muaythai is a sanctioning body, not a promotional company — it grants title recognition and governs rules, while individual events are produced by independent promoters and stadium venues.