The previously ordered Galal Yafai-Francisco ‘Chihuas’ Rodriguez interim WBC flyweight title fight will head to a purse bid.

BoxingScene has confirmed that the WBC has scheduled a March 25 hearing after the respective camps for the pair of flyweights failed to reach an agreement during their assigned negotiation period.

England’s Yafai, 9-0 (7 KOs), is promoted by Matchroom Boxing, headed by chairman Eddie Hearn. Mexico’s Rodriguez, 39-6-1 (27 KOs), is represented by Eddy Reynoso’s No Boxing, No Life and Manny Pacquiao’s MP Promotions. 

The involved parties can still reach an agreement prior to the purse bid hearing.

Yafai defeated former IBF flyweight titlist Sunny Edwards via sixth-round stoppage to win the interim WBC belt last November 30 in Birmingham, England. The feat capped a three-win 2024 campaign for the 32-year-old southpaw, a gold medalist for Great Britain in the delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympics. 

Rodriguez, also 32, was named the mandatory challenger during the WBC’s 2023 convention in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. He earned the placement after a 10-round win over countryman Joel Cordova earlier that January in San Pedro, mere minutes from his hometown of Monterrey. 

The win came after a hard-fought points loss to Junto Nakatani in their November 2022 non-title fight in Saitama, Japan. 

Rodriguez, a former unified IBF/WBO strawweight titlist, is unbeaten in his last four fights. However, his most recent appearance – an eight-round decision win over Josue Morales on December 15 in San Antonio, Texas – was changed to a no-decision earlier this year. The fight took place at junior bantamweight, and Rodriguez, who is not under suspension, was permitted to retain his mandatory ranking at flyweight.

Yafai-Rodriguez was ordered while full WBC flyweight titleholder Kenshiro Teraji, 25-1 (16 KOs), was permitted to enter a title unification bout with Seigo Yuri Akui, 21-3-1 (11 KOs), who held the WBA belt. The terrific March 13 clash between these two Japanese titlists saw Teraji rally to stop Akui in the 12th and final round to become a two-division unified titleholder. 

Teraji will be ordered to face the Yafai-Rodriguez winner later this year, though the all-action star suggested a possible move to the 115-pound division is in his near future. Should that occur, the Yafai-Rodriguez winner will be named full WBC flyweight titlist.