Britain’s Nicola Adams has become a world champion for the first time after previous champion Mexico’s Arely Mucino was unable to defend her title following an injury.
The WBO have declared Adams as the world flyweight champion after Mucino was unable to fight Adams in a planned bout later this year having suffered from head and ankle injuries.
Mucino — who won the title from Monserrat Alarcon in February 2018 — suffered a head injury when she defended her title in her last bout against Venuzuela’s Yairineth Altuve in April.
Mucino has also injured her ankle in a car crash since her last fight, with the WBO saying in a statement that she is unable to “participate in active competition”.
Adams was meant to fight Mucino (28-3-2) earlier this year, but Adams withdrew after suffering an injury of her own.
Adams (5-0-0) has not fought since she won the interim WBO world flyweight title by unanimous decision against Mexico’s Isabel Millian at the Leicester Arena in November 2018.
The Leeds-born fighter won gold at the 2012 Olympics in London, and defended her title in Brazil in 2016, turning professional later that year. Adams is yet to confirm if she will go for a third consecutive Olympic title at Tokyo 2020.