The WBC has received official notification from WBC super middleweight champion, Badou Jack, who has decided to move up in weight and compete in the light heavyweight division; consequently, the  super middleweight  championship of the world has been declared vacant.

The decision by Jack (20-1-3, 12 KOs) came as no surprise to many, as the boxer started numerous times in recent weeks that he's struggling to make the super middleweight limit of 168-pounds and likely heading to 175-pounds. 

On Monday, the sanctioning body hard ordered him to face undefeated Callum Smith in a mandatory defense. Smith is now likely heading into a battle with former champion Anthony Dirrell with the vacant belt at stake.

This past Saturday night at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, Jack fought IBF world champion James DeGale to a twelve round majority draw. Jack suffered a flash knockdown in the first round, but rallied back and badly hurt DeGale in the twelfth round with a much harder knockdown. DeGale suffered numerous injuries in the fight and many at ringside believed Jack had done enough to win.

After the fight, DeGale called for a rematch - but Jack made it clear that he was leaving the super middleweight division and had no problem with doing the fight at 175.

The target for Jack, according to the boxer himself and his promoter Floyd Mayweather Jr., is current WBC world champion Adonis Stevenson - who returns in April against an opponent to be determined.