Jaime Munguia May Vacate WBA Super Middleweight Title to Dodge Melikuziev
The Mexican champion is weighing whether a mandatory defense against a dangerous southpaw is worth the risk.
Jaime Munguia might hand back his WBA super middleweight belt rather than fight the man the sanctioning body is telling him to fight. Per Boxing News 24, reporter Rick Glaser says Munguia's team is conducting a "deep dive" into vacating the title rather than defending against mandatory challenger Bektemir Melikuziev.
Melikuziev (17-1, 11 KOs) earned his mandatory position by winning a WBA eliminator against Darius Fulghum in May 2025. He is a powerful southpaw with a punishing body attack, and the matchup presents real danger for Munguia's aggressive, forward-moving style.
The math is simple and unfavorable. Munguia (46-2, 35 KOs) would be risking a knockout loss against a fighter who does not move the needle commercially. A loss to Melikuziev would damage his marketability for the bigger fights he actually wants, and the purse would be modest compared to what a Canelo Alvarez fight would pay.
The WBA has set an October 21 deadline for a negotiated deal. If no agreement is reached, a purse bid will be called, which would strip Munguia's team of control over the date, venue, and broadcaster.
If Munguia vacates, Melikuziev could face Jose Armando Resendiz for the vacant title. Resendiz lost the belt to Munguia in May. Canelo Alvarez is ranked No. 2 by the WBA but has shown no interest in the matchup.
I get the business logic here, but I hate it. This is exactly the kind of move that makes fans lose faith in boxing. You win a belt, you defend it. That is the deal. If the WBA mandatory is too dangerous for a modest payday, that tells you everything about how these sanctioning bodies have warped the sport.
Melikuziev is a real fighter. He is a southpaw with power and a nasty body attack, and Munguia's style of walking forward and trading would play right into his hands. I understand why Munguia's team sees this as high risk, low reward. But that is what champions are supposed to do. Take the hard fights.
If Munguia vacates, he keeps his record looking clean and chases the Canelo payday. But he loses something harder to get back: credibility. The super middleweight division deserves a champion willing to face the best challengers, not one who ducks the dangerous mandatory.
https://www.boxingnews24.com/2026/09/jaime-munguia-may-vacate-rather-than-fight-bektemir-melikuziev/
