Kim Clavel had no intention of going backward in competition once she had a taste of the championship level.

A career-best performance was delivered to that point on the night that Clavel effortlessly dethroned long-reigning WBC junior flyweight titlist Yesenia Gomez last July 29 in her hometown of Montreal, Canada. Scores of 100-90, 99-91 and 99-91 were turned in for the local favorite, who set her sights on fully conquering the division.

The demand was heard and fulfilled by promoter Yvon Michel, who immediately secured the services of WBA titlist Jessica Nery Plata (28-2, 3KOs).

“My promoter was very happy with my last performance when I won the title from Yesenia Gomez,” Clavel told BoxingScene.com. “He was obviously motivated to allow me to unify the titles. He told me that he believed I was at the peak of my career and that I deserved a lot better than just an optional title defense.”

The WBC/WBA unification clash was originally scheduled to take place on December 1 but was met with a postponement after Clavel (16-0, 3KOs) suffered a fever of 102 degrees less than 72 hours from fight night. The bout will now take place January 13 at Place Bell in Laval, Canada.

Clavel and Mexico City’s Plata will each attempt the first defense of their respective titles.

"We both have brand new belts, not even a scratch,” joked Clavel, a 2020 ESPY winner for courage exhibited on the frontline as a nurse during the height of the coronavirus pandemic.

The rescheduled fight is the first of at least four unification bouts on the schedule for the first quarter of the year, all on the women’s side of the sport. Clavel’s emergence as a championship player came during what was a time capsule year for women in boxing, with 2023 already off to a promising start.

Clavel is not looking past Plata but also is no longer looking to where she was as it relates to her competition level. The hope is keep pushing towards undisputed championship status and eventually a superfight with unbeaten pound-for-pound entrant Seniesa Estrada (23-0, 9KOs), who is currently on a mission to fully unify the strawweight division.

The original fight date with Plata would have come just five days after Yokasta Valle (27-2, 9KOs) dethroned IBF/WBO 108-pound titlist Evelin Bermudez via majority decision this past Saturday at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California.

Valle has since vacated her junior flyweight titles to return to her IBF/WBO strawweight title reign. A decision to remain at the higher weight would have gone a long way towards fully unifying junior flyweight. Clavel is still prepared to carry out that mission, even if it requires an extra step—beginning with her second consecutive reigning titlist.

“I was really hoping to face her for the undisputed champion,” admitted Clavel. “I can’t worry about who has the belts. I need to focus on Jessica Nery Plata to become a unified champion.”

Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox