The battle for control of Miss Universe is now all-out. While Raúl Rocha Cantú has signed the sale of the company that indirectly owns his 50% stake in Miss Universe and has already pocketed $9 million, his team has launched a desperate offensive to create the illusion that they still hold power. A new website, missuniverseorg.com , has been created amidst the ongoing fight for the organization's governance. On August 14, the Rocha camp published a lengthy statement claiming that the former official website, missuniverse.com , as well as several historical Miss Universe accounts, are no longer under the control of legitimate leadership. In the same statement, the Rocha team attempts to disavow Nawat Itsaragrisil , Monil Hathi, Pavan Misra, and others associated with the current ownership changes. However, the statement carefully avoids a far more embarrassing topic: the sale signed by Rocha himself and the $9 million he has already received.
Two websites are now claiming to be Miss Universe
The Rocha camp is now asking partners to consider missuniverseorg.com as its sole official channel. The problem: missuniverse.com claims the exact opposite . The organization's historic website declared on August 10th that it is the only true Miss Universe site and is also asking partners to ignore competing communications. Miss Universe thus finds itself with two camps simultaneously claiming legitimacy for the organization . This digital war is occurring at a particularly sensitive time: Rocha has been engaged for months in a transaction that should result in its exit from the company.
Rocha is trying to reduce Nawat to the rank of a mere national director
The press release of August 14th directly attacks Nawat Itsaragrisil . According to the Rocha team, the Thai executive has no international power within Miss Universe. His sole role, they claim, is that of a national director with a local license. The Rocha camp even announces it is examining the conditions under which this license was granted. This false presentation is directly contradicted by missuniverse.com. The long-established website now presents Nawat as Chief Executive Officer of Miss Universe Eastern , with a scope covering 95 countries , and has expressly refuted the statements reducing him to the status of a mere national license holder. The Rocha camp's message is therefore clear: just as Nawat is gaining increasing influence, Rocha is attempting to deny his authority.
The detail the press release omits: Rocha himself sold Miss Universe
This stance raises a question: why is Raúl Rocha now presenting the future Miss Universe contestants as outsiders when he himself signed the sale of his own interests? As Entrevue revealed in its investigation into the Miss Universe sale , Rocha signed a contract on September 25, 2025, with the Malaysian company Tema Inovasi Sdn. Bhd. for 100% of Legacy Holding Group USA , the company that indirectly owns his 50% stake in Miss Universe. The total price was set at $25 million: $ 9 million for an initial 40% tranche, then $16 million for the remaining 60%. Once the transaction is fully completed, Rocha should therefore have sold all of Legacy USA and no longer control his 50% stake in Miss Universe through it.
The 9 million have already been deposited into Rocha's account
And this isn't just a sale proposal that's been shelved. A court document from the Delaware Court of Chancery confirms that Tema paid $9 million for the first 40% tranche . The payment was made as early as September 2025. But the corresponding shares didn't follow. The court filing explicitly states that Tema paid the $9 million, while Rocha had not transferred the corresponding 40% stake. Tema then initiated arbitration and subsequently filed a lawsuit in Delaware. Rocha received the proceeds from the first part of the sale but is now attempting to portray the new ownership structure as questionable, even illegitimate.
Why would Rocha be trying to buy time?
The court records establish the sale, the payment, and the dispute concerning the shares. However, one might wonder why Rocha is trying to maintain control for so long . One plausible hypothesis: Entrevue magazine revealed on August 14th that Fátima Bosch's father allegedly asked Raúl Rocha to delay or block the share transfer in order to prevent Nawat from assuming the presidency before the next Miss Universe pageant in Puerto Rico. This information explains Raúl Rocha's incomprehensible determination to give the impression that he is still in charge.
Fatima Bosch could be at the heart of the battle
Fatima Bosch, Miss Universe 2025, remains extremely politically tied to the Rocha era. Raúl Rocha was one of her main supporters, while Nawat became one of her most virulent opponents . Entrevue magazine notably recalled the Thai leader's extremely harsh statements against the Mexican woman and the accusations that continue to surround her election. The next Miss Universe pageant is scheduled for November 2026 in Puerto Rico , where Fatima Bosch is supposed to relinquish her crown. Therefore, a question arises: Is Rocha seeking to maintain control until then to ensure that Fatima Bosch completes her term without being dethroned? It's highly likely! Raúl Rocha has a plan in mind: hold on for a few more months, prevent Nawat from having the necessary power to challenge Fatima Bosch, and then allow the transition to take place after the election of the next Miss Universe.
Nawat represents precisely what Rocha seems to want to delay.
This hypothesis also helps to better understand why the new press release attacks Nawat so vehemently. The Rocha camp isn't simply debating his scope of responsibility; it's practically attempting to erase his new international status by claiming he's merely a national director. Yet missuniverse.com now presents him as CEO of Miss Universe Eastern for 95 countries. If Rocha does indeed lose his shares and influence, Nawat could become one of the most powerful figures in the new structure . For Fatima Bosch, this change could be particularly dangerous given the Thai man's public hostility towards her.
The Rocha clan attacks the new leaders but remains silent about its own 9 million
The statement also attempts to disavow Monil Hathi and Pavan Misra and disputes several actions carried out on behalf of Miss Universe. The problem, and this is legally proven, is that Raúl Rocha signed a $25 million sale agreement. He has already received $9 million. Tema has been demanding the shares corresponding to this payment for months , and its own lawyers have argued in US court about transferring the 40% already paid and the remaining 60% to be sold for the agreed $16 million. The sale of Miss Universe is therefore not a fabrication by its adversaries.
A race against time to Puerto Rico?
Raúl Rocha seems intent on demonstrating his continued control over Miss Universe, even though a contract stipulates his divestment from the company and he already holds a portion of the prize money. Why this resistance? Perhaps to maintain economic and institutional influence for as long as possible. Perhaps because of the ongoing legal proceedings. And perhaps, most likely, to hold out until Puerto Rico and protect Fátima Bosch until the very last day of her reign.
A plausible hypothesis would explain why Rocha now seems to be stalling, delegitimizing Nawat, and maintaining the appearance of intact power, even though he has already signed the documents orchestrating his own exit. A press release can challenge an organizational chart. A new website can claim the title of official platform. It is far more difficult to erase a sales contract, a legal proceeding, and $9 million already received …
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