The vacant WBC bantamweight title fight between Petch Sor Chitpattana and Nordine Oubaali has a date.
According to Asian Boxing, Sor Chitpattana vs. Oubaali is expected to take place on June 23 in Paris in a fight that will crown the newest WBC champion. The card has not been finalized, but it is expected that heavyweight Olympic gold medalist Tony Yoka will also fight on the card.
The title originally became vacant when former champion Luis Nery, who had tested positive for a banned substance in his final 2017 title defense against Shinsuke Yamanaka, was massively overweight the day before his February 2018 title defense. The WBC stripped him of the title but Nery knocked out Yamanaka in their rematch, meaning the title remained vacant. Since then, Yamanaka has since then retired from active competition. The WBC then ordered its top two-ranked bantamweights to fight for the vacant title.
Oubaali, a two-time Olympic boxer representing France, turned pro in 2014 and has amassed a 14-0 record with 11 knockouts. Oubaali held the WBA Intercontinental and WBC Silver bantamweight titles and has won his lone fight of 2018, knocking out former world title challenger Luis Melendez.
Chitpattana, a 24-year-old boxer from Thailand, sports one of boxing's best win-loss records today at 46-0. With a win over Oubaali, Chitpattana would then be three wins away from tying Floyd Mayweather's 50-0 record, which was recently tied by Wanheng Menayothin. Chitpattana won his first title in his sixth pro fight when he defeated Ma Daio to win the WBC Youth flyweight title. Chitpattana has also held the interim WBC Youth super flyweight and WBC Youth Silver bantamweight titles.
