Report: Mikey Garcia Vacates IBF Lightweight Title

Mikey Garcia has vacated the IBF lightweight title.

First reported by ESPN’s Dan Rafael, the four-division world champion has notified the governing body that he will no longer be their lightweight champion. This comes right as there was supposed to be a purse bid between Garcia and mandatory challenger Richard Commey on October 30.

The news coincides with a recent report that states Garcia is close to signing a deal to fight IBF welterweight champion Errol Spence Jr. in 2019. Originally, it appeared that Garcia had agreed to a fight deal against Commey, canceling a purse bid. But the IBF did not receive Garcia’s signed contract by the deadline of a previous purse bid, another purse bid was scheduled and now that’s canceled also.

This is not the first time Garcia has won an IBF world title only to shortly vacate it without making a single title defense this year.

Back in March, Garcia defeated Sergey Lipinets by unanimous decision to win the IBF junior welterweight title. Instead of facing then-mandatory challenger Ivan Baranchyk as his first 140-pound title defense, Garcia surrendered the belt to move back down to lightweight and unify the WBC and IBF titles against Robert Easter Jr. back in July. Baranchyk would go on to win the vacant IBF title on October 28 against Anthony Yigit in a World Boxing Super Series quarterfinal fight.

With the IBF lightweight title now vacant, Commey will now likely be ordered to fight the next-highest ranked available contender which would be Isa Chaniev. Chaniev, who last fought in May, is the current IBF Intercontinental and WBO International champion at 135 pounds.