The Championships Committee of the World Boxing Association (WBA) has declared René Santiago Champion in Recess and approved a bout between Daiya Kira and Carlos Cañizales for the WBA World Light Flyweight (108 lbs.) Championship.

Santiago was scheduled to defend his crown against Kira, the division’s mandatory challenger. However, his team informed the Committee that an injury would prevent him from fulfilling the mandatory defense. As a result, the WBA requested all relevant medical documentation for review by its Medical Committee before reaching a decision.

WBA Rule C.14 states that when a World Champion is unable to defend his title within the prescribed time periods due to medical, legal, or other justifiable reasons reasonably beyond his control, the inactive champion may be designated Champion in Recess, and the Committee may order the appropriate championship bout in accordance with WBA Rules C.22 through C.24. Medical reasons must be documented to the satisfaction of the Chairman of the Medical Committee, who may require additional medical examinations or reports.

Following its review, the Committee decided to designate Santiago as Champion in Recess and ordered a championship bout between the WBA’s No. 1-ranked contender, Japan’s Daiya Kira, and the organization’s No. 2-ranked contender, Venezuela’s Carlos Cañizales. The two will meet for the vacant WBA World Light Flyweight Championship on September 2 in Yokohama, Japan.

The WBA Medical Committee will remain in communication with Santiago’s team to monitor the progress of his recovery and determine the timeline for his return, which must come against the winner of the Kira-Cañizales bout. Any issues that arise during this process will be resolved in accordance with WBA Rules.

The Championships Committee of the World Boxing Association (WBA) has officially ordered the mandatory bout between light flyweight champion René Santiago and the division’s top-ranked contender, Daiya Kira.

The pioneer sanctioning body has issued formal notification to the respective teams of both fighters, granting a thirty (30) day negotiation period to reach terms for the bout. Said period will expire on June 2, 2026.

Pursuant to Championship Rule C.10, a champion is required to defend the title against the next leading available contender within one hundred twenty (120) days from the date the title was obtained.

In Santiago’s case, the title was won on December 17, 2025. Accordingly, the mandatory defense has been overdue since April 16, 2026, and he is therefore required to face Kira.

Furthermore, under WBA Rule C.13 —Bout Limitations—, a champion may not engage in a contest against a boxer who is not the official challenger within sixty (60) days following the expiration of the mandatory defense period.

The negotiation period shall commence from the moment the official communication was sent to both camps. Should the parties fail to reach an agreement within the established timeframe, or if either party refuses to execute the contract, the WBA shall reserve the right to proceed to a purse bid in accordance with its internal regulations.