Stiverne agreed to put his mandatory status on the line against Breazeale.
Eddie Hearn did the same exact thing when he had Povetkin put his mandatory status on the line against David Price.
When Ortiz failed a test and Stiverne was put into the main event, Breazeale was still legally entitled to a final eliminator and was allowed to face the highest available contender.
The WBC went through their ratings in order, offering the fight to rated contenders. Whyte and many others turned the fight down due to the short notice. The highest rated contender willing to take the fight was #12 Molina.
Because Molina wasn't in the top 10, had he won, he still would have had to win another eliminator to become mandatory. That's why it was a final eliminator for Breazeale, but a semi-final eliminator for Molina.
Eddie Hearn did the same exact thing when he had Povetkin put his mandatory status on the line against David Price.
When Ortiz failed a test and Stiverne was put into the main event, Breazeale was still legally entitled to a final eliminator and was allowed to face the highest available contender.
The WBC went through their ratings in order, offering the fight to rated contenders. Whyte and many others turned the fight down due to the short notice. The highest rated contender willing to take the fight was #12 Molina.
Because Molina wasn't in the top 10, had he won, he still would have had to win another eliminator to become mandatory. That's why it was a final eliminator for Breazeale, but a semi-final eliminator for Molina.

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