WBA has officially elevated Jose Armando Resendiz to “Full Champion” at super middleweight, following the retirement of Terence Crawford. In his first title defense, the 26-year-old Mexican is expected to face Bektemir Melikuziev.
Resendiz (16-2, 11 KOs) initially earned the interim WBA title in May by defeating Caleb Plant by split decision. Crawford, who held the undisputed crown at 168 lbs, announced his retirement in December, leaving the title vacant.
As of this writing, Resendiz is already listed on the official WBA website as the WBA Super Middleweight World Champion.
Resendiz was previously reported to meet Edgar Berlanga on the undercard of Mario Barrios vs Ryan Garcia, expected to take place on February 21 in the U.S. The fight no longer appears to be happening, as Bektemir Melikuziev (16-1, 10 KOs) has reportedly been named the mandatory challenger.
Uzbekistan’s Melikuziev, 29, was last in action in May, when he defeated Darius Fulghum by unanimous decision. The bout was contested as a WBA super middleweight title eliminator.
More information about the Resendiz vs Melikuziev showdown is expected to follow shortly.