The WBC has been more active when it comes to issuing their mandates, first ordering the Bivol-Benavidez bout just last month before now opting to order WBC lightweight (135 lbs) champion Shakur Stevenson (23-0, 11 KO’s) to face Mexican contender William Zepeda (33-0, 27 KO’s).

Zepeda, 28, has actually been the mandatory challenger for Stevenson since July of last year after the WBC ordered the two to fight for the first time, though notably this mandate was not notified through the organization’s official channels.

The first order further occurred when Stevenson was a free agent and saw both fighters virtually ignore the order without repercussions, making the WBC’s most recent mandate long overdue. Complicating the initial mandate had been Stevenson’s free agent status of which Zepeda’s promoter, Golden Boy Promotions founder and owner Oscar De La Hoya, had indicated that Zepeda himself demanded Stevenson sign with Golden Boy in order for the fight to occur.

Supposedly, there will be fewer barriers for the fight to make now that Shakur Stevenson is signed to Matchroom who, like Golden Boy, has an exclusive broadcasting arrangement with DAZN that should see a fight between the two made fairly easily.

As customary of these mandates, Stevenson will lose his title if refusing to face Zepeda, while Zepeda in turn will lose his WBC interim title which he won and defended through two bouts against American contender Tevin Farmer (33-8-1, 8 KO’s) held last year and last month.

A standard 30-day negotiation period has also been set for the two fighters’ teams to reach an agreement which will last from April 6th to May 6th and be followed by a purse bid ceremony if a deal has not been reached.