Agreement reached between Xander Zayas and Jorge Garcia to fight for vacant WBO world title

Xander Zayas and Jorge Garcia are to meet in a fight for the vacant WBO junior middleweight championship.

Reports say that an agreement has been reached between the pair, although a date and venue has yet to be announced. Xander Zayas, 21-0 (13), is ranked at number one in the division by the WBO, with Garcia, 33-4 (2), ranked at number two.

The vacant-title match has been made after Sebastian Fundora (22-1-1 (14)) was stripped of the WBO’s junior middleweight title at the start of May for going into a rematch with former beltholder Tim Tszyu, 25-1 (18), rather than face Zayas.

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WBO president Gustavo Olivieri took to social media to share: "The WBO confirms that Top Rank, Golden Boy, and Zanfer Promotions have reached an agreement for the subject matter bout. Official fight date and venue to be announced.”

Fundora had been open to accepting the mandatory defence, but after negotiations with Zayas stalled, he explored a rematch with Tszyu for July this year.

The American southpaw had unified the WBO belt with his WBC strap when he beat Australian Tszyu in March 2024.

Whilst the WBO might have granted an exception after an agreement with Zayas was not reached, the organisation’s committee still unanimously agreed to strip Fundora of his title. This was, it said, because he had failed to go about his rematch with Tszyu in the right manner.

Now it has been confirmed that Zayas will face Garcia, who is ranked number two at 154 pounds by the WBO.

Fundora remains a world champion with the WBC, whilst Bakhram Murtazaliev is the IBF champion at 154 pounds.

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Terrence Crawford is the WBA titleholder, but it remains to be seen whether he will remain in control of that belt ahead of his ‘super-fight’ with undisputed super middleweight champion Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez.

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