WBC world cruiserweight champion Badou Jack may have a new opponent for his highly anticipated May 3 bout in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on the undercard of Canelo Alvarez vs. William Scull.
Due to an injury to mandatory challenger Ryan Rozicki, Jack’s team is now in negotiations with Noel Mikaelian, the WBC ‘champion in recess,’ to replace Rozicki on short notice.
Jack, with a record of 28-3-3 (17 KOs), has not fought in over two years since winning the WBC title by stopping Ilunga Makabu in the 12th round in 2023.
Mikaelian, 27-2 (12 KOs), had initially fought Makabu to claim the full WBC cruiserweight title but was later sidelined due to a contractual dispute with promoter Don King. As a result, Jack was reinstated as the full champion ahead of his scheduled fight with Rozicki.
Although Mikaelian is slated to face Isaiah Thompson on May 17, the Armenian fighter is now poised to replace Rozicki in an attempt to reclaim his WBC title. Don King, Mikaelian’s promoter, confirmed that negotiations are underway for the fight, expressing confidence that a deal will be reached soon.
With the cruiserweight division in flux, this potential showdown between Jack and Mikaelian could add more drama to an already packed event.
