Joe Cordina's title defence against Shavkat Rakhimov in Abu Dhabi is off after the super-featherweight champion suffered a hand injury.
The bout was one of three championship bouts announced for November 5 at Etihad Arena, where light heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol headlines against mandatory challenger Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez.
The unbeaten Cordina, 15-0 as a professional, has reportedly been stripped of his IBF title, with No 1-ranked contender Rakhimov now expected to take on No 2 Zelfa Barrett for the vacant belt.
That fight has yet to be confirmed. ESPN were the first to report the news of Cordina’s injury. In a social media post on Tuesday morning, Welsh Olympian Cordina posted a picture of his heavily stitched hand and wrote: “Absolutely gutted.