Once set to take place in the spring, Nordine Oubaali and Nonito Donaire will now help close the show.

The bantamweight title fight which has been months in the making will headline the December 12 edition of Showtime Championship Boxing. The show is tentatively scheduled to air live from a crowdless Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, Connecticut, though that dynamic could change depending on the status of the ongoing coronavirus delay which caused a months-long delay in the fight seeing the light of day.

An accompanying undercard has yet to be announced for what will serve as the last of a nine-event block announced by Showtime on Wednesday.

The fight was first ordered on December 9, exactly one month after both boxers appeared on the same show—though in separate bouts—last November in Saitama, Japan. Donaire (40-6, 26KOs) came up just short in the evening’s main event, dropping a 12-round decision to three-belt and reigning bantamweight titlist Naoya Inoue in their thrilling title unification clash and World Boxing Super Series bantamweight final.

In supporting capacity, Oubaali (17-0, 12KOs)—a two-time Olympian for his native France—scored the third win in as many fights in 2019 with a 12-round unanimous decision over Takuma Inoue, Naoya’s younger brother. 

Little did they know at the time, the evening would set up a head-on collision between Oubaali and Donaire.

That union came about thanks to the World Boxing Council, whose title Oubaali claimed in a 12-round win over three-time U.S. Olympian and former champ Rau’Shee Warren in their January 2019 vacant title fight. The Mexico City sanctioning body saw its Board of Governors unanimously vote in favor of naming Donaire as its mandatory challenger last December, ordering a title fight soon thereafter.

The matter ultimately went to purse bid, with Tom Brown’s TGB Promotions—which doesn’t have a stake in either fighter—winning the session and thus claiming the rights to the fight.

Donaire has claimed major titles in four divisions, including two separate tours at bantamweight where he returned in 2018. The move was made in participation with the WBSS, where the Fil-Am superstar emerged as an unexpected finalist.

A 4th round injury stoppage victory over Ryan Burnett in November 2018 netted him the WBA bantamweight title, coming in his first fight back at the weight since a 12-round win over Omar Narvaez to complete his first reign back in October 2011. From there came a 6th round stoppage of Stephon Young, a late replacement for then-WBO titlist Zolani Tete.

Oubaali will attempt the third defense of his title.

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