Former foud-division world champion Nonito Donaire will fight Emmanuel Rodriguez for the WBC bantamweight world belt.
Donaire, 38, is the mandatory challenger to the current champion Nordine Oubaali and the two had to face each other on December 19, but Nordine tested positive for COVID-19 and the fight fell off.
Thus the World Boxing Council made Oubaali “Champion in recess” while Donaire and Rodriguez will be fighting for the vacant belt and when the Frenchman is good to go, he’ll face the winner of Donaire – Rodriguez.
Donaire hasn’t fought since November 2019 when he lost to Naoya Inoue via UD in one of the best matches of 2019. Rodriguez, 28, was last seen inside the ring in the summer of 2019 when again Japan’s Naoya Inoue KO’d him in the second round.