The purse offer scheduled for this Friday for the vacant WBC heavyweight world championship has been cancelled. The promoters of No. 1 ranked Bermane Stiverne and No. 2 ranked Chris Arreola have come to an agreement for the fight.

The winner will join the line of legendary champions who have worn the green and gold belt, which includes Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier, George Foreman, Larry Holmes, Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield, Lennox Lewis, and Vitali Klitschko.

This world championship fight will be the rematch of their terrific battle on April 27, 2013, in which Stiverne, now 23-1-1 with 20 knockouts, scored a knockdown in the third round and won by 12-round unanimous decision. Arreola, now 36-3 with 31 knockouts, has won one fight since then, a first-round knockout against Seth Mitchell on September 7.

As the WBC looks forward to crowning a new heavyweight world champion, we would also like to honor Champion Emeritus Vitali Klitschko, who is currently leading a courageous political movement in his home country, Ukraine. The former two-time world champion has always represented the WBC with pride and honor. The WBC strongly supports his political endeavors, and hopes and prays for peace and unity for the nation of Ukraine and all of its people.