Mexican boxer Saul "Canelo" Alvarez will not be able to fight for the vacant International Boxing Federation (IBF) title as he is recovering from surgery.
Idman.Biz, citing "Bloody Elbow", reports that the title became vacant after the undefeated Terence Crawford recently left the sport.
The IBF had previously requested information on whether Alvarez and his mandatory opponent, the undefeated Cuban Osleys Iglesias, were suitable to organise a fight for the vacant belt. However, Alvarez, who underwent elbow surgery after losing to Crawford in September 2025, has been forced to drop out of the fight due to rehabilitation.
Therefore, another likely opponent for Iglesias for the vacant IBF super middleweight title is Alvarez's compatriot Jaime Munguia. Munguia, who is next in the IBF rankings, lost to Canelo in May 2024.