WBC orders Garcia to defend interim lightweight belt vs. Fortuna

Ryan Garcia has been ordered to defend his WBC interim lightweight title against Javier Fortuna, according to ESPN's Cameron Wolfe.

No date for the bout has been set but negotiations have started, according to Wolfe. Purse bids will open on April 16 if a deal isn't in place by then.

The winner of Garcia-Fortuna would become the mandatory challenger to Devin Haney for the WBC lightweight belt.

Garcia, 22, earned his most recent title with a seventh-round knockout win against Luke Campbell in January. The victory ran his career record to 21-0 and was his fifth straight win via knockout.

Fortuna, 31, last fought in November when he stopped Antonio Lozada Jr. in six rounds. "El Abejon" was scheduled to fight Campbell for the WBC lightweight title last April before having that bout canceled by the pandemic.

The WBC classifies Teofimo Lopez Jr. - owner of the WBO, IBF, and WBA lightweight belts - as its "franchise" champion at 135 pounds, according to ESPN.