Jaime Munguia insisted following his latest win that he is ready to move toward a major title.

One sanctioning body is prepared to challenge that claim.

The World Boxing Organization (WBO) has formally ordered an interim middleweight title fight between Tijuana’s Munguia (39-0, 31KOs) and Kazakhstan’s Janibek Alimkhanuly (11-0, 7KOs), the sanctioning body’s highest two ranked contenders in the division. Whereas Munguia has grown comfortable in stretching out his number-one ranking, the former WBO junior middleweight titlist and current top 160-pound contender is officially on the clock.

“Please be advised that the WBO World Championship Committee orders the parties herein to commence the negotiations for the above-referenced bout between Jaime Munguia and [Janibek] Alimkhanuly,” Luis Batista-Salas, chairman of the WBO Championship Committee noted to the promoters of both boxers via official letter, a copy of which was obtained by BoxingScene.com. “The parties are granted 10 days to reach an agreement.”

A purse bid hearing will be called if a deal is not reached by March 4. The minimum accepted bid for a WBO-sanctioned middleweight title fight is $200,000.

The order comes just three days after Munguia—co-promoted by Zanfer Boxing and Golden Boy Promotions—turned away previously unbeaten D’Mitrius Ballard (21-1-1, 13KOs) this past Saturday at Plaza Monumental in his Tijuana hometown. The bout was his fifth at middleweight since abandoning his WBO junior middleweight title reign in late 2019. Munguia has emerged as the number-one contender in the eyes of the WBO and the WBC, though with public outcry for the unbeaten Mexican to either s(p)it or get off the pot.

As is the case with any ordered title fight, a refusal to participate will result in forfeiture of a top five ranking.

Alimkhanuly was originally ordered to next face WBO middleweight titlist Demetrius Andrade (31-0, 19KOs), who instead is pursuing an interim WBO super middleweight title fight with England’s Zach Parker. That fight is due to appear before a purse bid later this week.

Andrade will have to win AND then decide in the ten days following the fight whether to remain at super middleweight—where he will become the WBO mandatory challenger for undisputed champion Saul ‘Canelo ‘Alvarez (57-1-2, 39KOs) or return to middleweight. The latter will leave Providence’s Andrade on the hook to face the reigning interim middleweight titlist.

Alikmhanuly—promoted by Top Rank and managed by Egis Klimas—was previously in talks with fellow unbeaten middleweight Esquiva Falcao for such a fight. BoxingScene.com has learned that Brazil’s Falcao priced himself out of the fight, clearly with the intention of waiting out his already guaranteed shot at the IBF middleweight title.

Kazakhstan’s Allimkhanuly advanced to the front of the line following back-to-back eighth-round stoppage wins over former interim WBA titlists Rob Brant and Hassan N’Dam N’Jikam.

If a fight materializes between Munguia and Alimkhanuly, the winner will become the mandatory to Andrade’s title or win the belt outright should Andrade opt to vacate at that point.

Should either side bow out of negotiations, England’s Danny Dignum—a recent Probellum signee—is expected to enter the title picture.

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