Undefeated Broner, 22, assured the WBC that he would be jumping two divisions for one bout only after signing to face the ‘Magic Man’ on June 22 and was duly given special dispensation to keep his green title.
The WBC have pitted number one ranked Nihito Arakawa and third placed Omar Figueroa against each other in an interim title fight, with Broner then stipulated to defend against the winner or vacate his belt.
“Adrien Broner requested to the WBC board of governors to fight Paul Malignaggi in a welterweight fight, but as the WBC lightweight champion,” WBC spokesperson Mauricio Sulaiman told World Boxing News.
“We were told that after the fight he will return to the lightweight division and after the wbc rules contemplated this scenario we realised there are several precedents.
“The WBC have now ordered an interim title fight between Arakawa and Figueroa and the winner will fight Adrien Broner.”
