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“Jaime Munguia rejects IBF world title offer, search for Osleys Iglesias continues,” Eye of the Tiger President Camille Estephan said today. X.
This is the second time a top contender has turned down the opportunity to fight Cuban-born Osleys “The Tornado” Iglesias for the vacant title, which became available after Terence Crawford relinquished the belt following his retirement on December 16, 2025.
Canelo Alvarez was the first to pass, citing his recovery from elbow surgery. The IBF then focused on fourth-ranked Munguia, but that option is now also ruled out. With Munguia in decline, the sanctioning body is expected to explore alternatives such as seventh-ranked Pavel Silyagin or tenth-ranked Bruno Surace.
Elsewhere in the division, Hamzah Sheeraz has been ordered to face Diego Pacheco for the vacant WBO title, while Callum Simpson is coming off a recent knockout victory which could affect his immediate availability.
There had been speculation earlier this week that Munguia might agree to face Iglesias for a vacant title, but that scenario still seemed unlikely. The move would have been out of character for the 29-year-old, whose career has largely been built around controlled matchmaking.
Outside of his loss to Canelo Alvarez in 2024, Munguia has rarely participated in high-risk fights where he entered as anything other than the favorite. A fight with Iglesias would have represented a radical departure from that pattern, with Munguia likely seen as the underdog against the undefeated Cuban.
The IBF title remains a major opportunity for any candidate willing to accept the mission. However, Iglesias’ abilities and strengths continue to complicate the search, forcing fighters and promoters to weigh long-term reward against immediate risk.
