The Arely Mucino-Gabriela Fundora IBF flyweight title fight will head to a purse bid hearing.
BoxingScene.com has learned that the August 13 negotiation period for the mandatory bout came and went without the two sides able to reach a deal. They will now wait for an assigned date to determine promotional rights for the intriguing matchup.
Mucino was represented in talks by Golden Boy Promotions, while Fundora is promoted by Sampson Lewkowicz.
The bout was ordered on July 13, though originally with the disclaimer that the mandatory was due to take place by July 29. The deadline was specifically nine months from when Mucino (32-3-2, 11KOs) claimed the IBF belt in a well-earned, split decision victory over then-unbeaten champ Leonela Paola Yudica last October 29 in San Diego, California.
With the win, Mucino—a 34-year-old, four-time flyweight titlist from Monterrey, Mexico—extended her current 11-fight win streak. The run included a WBO title reign that ended due to the unkind combination of an injury and the pandemic which left her out of the ring for nearly two years.
Fundora (11-0, 4KOs) has quickly risen to contention. The 21-year-old southpaw—whose older brother Sebastian Fundora is a top junior middleweight—turned pro in May 2021 and already advanced to the ten-round level by last October.
The most notable win to date came for Fundora in her most recent appearance, when she overcame a cut to outpoint former title challenger Maria Santizo over eight rounds on April 8 in Carson, California. The win came on the undercard of Sebastian’s stunning one-punch knockout loss to Brian Mendoza, the second time in six months that the two appeared on the same show.
Mucino is also part of a proud boxing family. Her husband is Angel ‘Tito’ Acosta, a former WBO junior flyweight titlist. They are both trained by Joel Diaz out of his facility in Indio, California, mere minutes from Fundora’s Coachella hometown.
The winner of the mandatory title fight will be in prime position to next challenge for the undisputed crown.
The rest of the divisional hardware is owned by lineal, WBC, WBA and WBO champ Marlen Esparza, who is currently ordered to face former titlist Gabriela Alaniz in a rematch. Esparza won their July 8 unification bout by majority decision in San Antonio, Texas. A second fight was ordered by the WBO upon a successful appeal filed by Alaniz on the basis of the questionable scores turned in by judges Esther Lopez (97-93) and especially Javier Alvarez (99-91).
Mucino is 8-3 with one No-Contest in twelve career title fights, along with two more wins with the interim WBA title at stake.
Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox