By Ryan Burton
Multiple sources have advised BoxingScene.com that WBC super middleweight champion Anthony Dirrell (33-1-1) will face WBC champion "in recess" David Benavidez (21-0) on the Deontay Wilder-Luis Ortiz 2 pay-per-view undercard. The card is being targeted for September 28th in Los Angeles.
Dirrell lost the title in 2015 when Badou Jack defeated him via majority decision.
Jack would vacate the title in 2017 when he decided to move up to the light heavyweight division.
After Jack vacated the WBC super middleweight title, World Boxing Council President Mauricio Sulaiman ordered Dirrel to face Callum Smith for the vacant belt.
Following Smith's entry into the World Boxing Super Series, it was announced the fight for the vacant title would be between Dirrell and David Benavidez.
But, then WBC announced that Dirrell would be unable to compete due to injury and the bout for the vacant world title would be between Benavidez and Ronald Gavril.
Benavidez would capture the vacant title with a split decision victory over Gavril. Due to some scoring controversy, a rematch was ordered and then Benavidez defeated Gavril decisively - but then a few months later he was stripped of his belt when he tested positive for cocaine.
Dirrell reclaimed the vacant title in February by defeating Avni Yildirim by technical decision.
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