The World Boxing Council (WBC) have ordered Canelo Alvarez to face Avni Yildirim for the vacant WBC Super-Middleweight world title.
Four-weight world champion, Canelo (53-1-2, 36 KOs) has been weighing up his options for a usual Mexican Independence Day fight, although a target date of September 12 has been looking increasingly unlikely.
However, after David Benavidez was stripped of his WBC title after failing to make weight for his clash with Alexis Angulo on Saturday, the WBC have moved quickly, voting 36-1 for franchise champion Canelo to face former WBC title challenger and current mandatory contender Yildirim (21-2, 12 KOs).
A statement from the WBC on Twitter said: “The WBC Board of Governors has voted 36-1 to order Alvarez, the multi division world champion who holds the WBC Franchise designation to fight against the WBC’s mandatory contender of the division, Avni Yildirim.
“More details will be available in days to come.”
Canelo had been linked with a host of names, notably WBA ‘Super’ Super-Middleweight champion Callum Smith, whilst WBO titlist Billy Joe Saunders, who was set to face fight Canelo in May prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, ruled himself out of a September meeting.
🚨 BREAKING 🚨
.@Canelo Alvarez 🆚 Avni Yildirim
For the WBC vacant SuperMiddleweight championship 🔰🥊 pic.twitter.com/SshDDo4x8t
— World Boxing Council (@WBCBoxing) August 18, 2020
The Mexican great was awarded franchise status last June after defeating Daniel Jacobs at 160lbs and the 30-year-old moved up to Light-Heavyweight, toppling Sergey Kovalev to claim the WBO belt in his last fight in November 2019.
Yildirim, 29, was defeated by Andre Dirrell in his quest to land the title last February after an accidental head clash lead to the American winning by technical decision in the tenth round, but has since manoeuvred himself into a mandatory position.
The Istanbul native was stopped in three rounds by Chris Eubank Jr in an unsuccessful bid for the IBO Super-Middleweight crown in 2017.
