An important step to making Deontay Wilder vs. Tyson Fury II a reality has been made.

On Dec. 1, Wilder put his WBC heavyweight title on the line against lineal champion Tyson Fury. The two fought for 12 rounds of thrilling action. Fury was clearly the more technical boxer, but he was knocked down in the ninth round and was dropped viciously in the 12th round. In what is considered to be the most memorable moment of the fight, Fury got back up when it looked like he was done. In the end, the title bout went to the scorecards and was declared a split draw.

The World Boxing Council has announced that a unanimous vote is in to sanction Wilder vs. Fury II. See the official statement below:

“The World Boxing Council conducted a voting through the Board of Governors, which resulted in a unanimous agreement to sanction a direct rematch between WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury. Wilder and Fury gave boxing one of the best fights in the heavyweight division in a long time, which has created tremendous popular demand for the fans to see a rematch. The WBC is happy to confirm that a direct rematch has been approved and will create in a ruling which will also consider the mandatory status of the division. I wish to once again congratulate Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury for their great battle inside the ring and for the exemplary sportsmanship after the bout.”