The IBF super middleweight title is vacant, and the question now is simple. Who is willing to fight Osleys Iglesias for it.
Iglesias sits at number one in the IBF rankings and is the clear must. The belt became vacant after Terence Crawford retired, and the sanctioning body moved quickly to identify a title fight. Iglesias is the obvious choice. There is no ranking dispute and no alternative interpretation.
What has slowed the process is refusal.
The IBF directed inquiries to Canelo Alvarez, who declined, citing recovery from elbow surgery. Jaime Munguia also passed on the opportunity. Neither decision violates IBF rules, but both remove name value from the title picture and keep Iglesias waiting.
This pushed attention down the rankings.
The next likely call-up is expected to go to Pavel Silyagin, currently ranked seventh by the IBF. Silyagin has not yet been confirmed, but he is positioned as the highest available contender who has not already turned him down or priced himself out.
Iglesias earned this position the hard way. In September 2025, he stopped Vladimir Shishkin in the eighth round of an IBF eliminator. It was a one-sided fight that removed any doubt about his standing. Since then, no one ranked above him has come forward.
For now, the IBF’s problem is not identifying a champion. It is to find someone willing to share the ring with him.
The southpaw Iglesias is called by some the most shunned fighter in the 168 lb division. Fighters were already ignoring him long before Canelo and Munguia rejected a fight against him. His punching power is what may cause fighters to steer away from him. Iglesias is a true two-fisted puncher, and his right hand is arguably better than his left. Usually it’s the opposite way around for a southpaw.
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Last updated on 15/01/2026
