Interim title

An interim championship is an alternate title that is awarded by the sanctioning bodies of professional boxing and in other combat sports, such as kickboxing, professional wrestling, and mixed martial arts. Occasionally, the champion of a particular weight class is temporarily unable to defend their championship because of medical, legal, or other reasons beyond the competitor's control. When this case occurs, two highly ranked contenders may fight for an interim championship of the same weight division, leading to two champions existing in the same weight division simultaneously. Once the original champion can return, at the discretion of the sanctioning body or promotion concerned, they must defend their title against the interim champion, who will relinquish their interim title to fight for the full world title. If the original champion is defeated, cannot return, refuses to defend their title, or transfers to a different weight division, the interim champion is promoted to full championship status.