Felix Alvarado vs Randy Petalcorin set for vacant IBF title

A fight for the vacant IBF 108-pound title is set for October 20 in Melbourne, Australia, asNicaragua’s Felix Alvarado will take on Randy Petalcorin of the Philippines for the belt that Hekkie Budler recently vacated.

Budler was ordered to face Alvarado (33-2, 29 KO), but a small purse bid outcome discouraged Budler from taking the bout, so he vacated instead. Budler still holds the WBA “super world” title at the weight, winning both belts in May from Ryoichi Taguchi.

Alvarado, 29, will instead face southpaw Petalcorin (29-2-1, 22 KO), a fellow young veteran but more of a fringe contender, being honest. The 26-year-old Petalcorin has won six straight fights against light opposition after a decision loss in Australia to Omari Kimweri in April 2016.

As for Alvarado, he’s on a 15-fight winning streak, following back-to-back losses in 2013-14 against Kazuto Ioka and Juan Carlos Reveco, both very good fighters. The fight with Petalcorin will be Alvarado’s first outside of Nicaragua since the loss to Ioka in Japan.