Rising American super middleweight Diego Pacheco (23-0, 18 KOs) has withdrawn from negotiations for a highly anticipated clash with France’s Christian Mbilli (28-0, 23 KOs), the reigning WBC Continental Americas and WBA International titleholder.
WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman confirmed the news, stating that Pacheco’s refusal to engage in talks prompted the organization to cancel the planned purse bid.
“Unfortunately, Pacheco has withdrawn from the negotiation process for the mandatory fight against Mbilli. As a result, the WBC is officially canceling the purse bid that was scheduled for tomorrow,” Sulaiman announced.
The winner of the bout would have been positioned as a potential mandatory challenger for the full WBC super middleweight world title—currently held by Mexican superstar Canelo Álvarez.