WBC regional title fights could be reduced to 10 rounds - president of the Mexico-based sanctioning body's medical committee has made this recommendation.

It is reported that the medical committee voted unanimously to reducing all WBC affiliated regional championship fights from 12 to 10 rounds. Only world championship and silver title fights will be authorised for 12 rounds.

The committee is said to further recommended to have eight round fights for regional championships which include fighters with a lower experience profile.

"Boxing is a contact sport and can be dangerous when not taking full care of all measures, which over the years have been implemented to maximise the protection of fighters," the committee is quoted as saying by fightnews.com.

The most important rule in boxing history was to reduce world championship fights from 15 to 12 rounds in 1983.

Now 38 years later, the WBC takes the next significant step to protect developing boxers.

It is said that after 30 minutes of fighting, the athlete experiences high levels of dehydration, added to fatigue due to physical wear, which is a harmful combination if a strong blow to the head is landed.

Medical and statistical studies indicate that an important risk factor is the sudden change for boxers in terms of the number of rounds fought.

That's to say, they climb from four to six, or eight, and then to 10 rounds too quickly, without getting used to the extra and greater physical and mental demands of entering those "unknown rounds."

BSA chair, Dr Peter Ngatane, who is a member of the WBC medical committee, said: "That was discussed in this year's convention. I am not sure if other countries have started with that process already. But the main titles like silver and actual world titles fights will still remain 12 rounds."