Junior flyweight world titlist Hekkie Budler (32-3, 10 KOs), 30, of South Africa, has vacated his IBF version of the 108-pound title rather than go through with a mandatory defense vs. Felix Alvarado (33-2, 29 KOs), 29, of Nicaragua. Earlier this month, promoter Sampson Lewkowicz, who works with Alvarado, won the purse bid for the bout with an offer of only $25,000, with 75 percent ($18,750) due to Budler, who survived a knockdown in the final round to eke out a unanimous decision in an upset against Ryoichi Taguchi to claim two 108-pound belts on May 20 in Tokyo. With Budler vacating, the IBF ordered Alvarado to face Filipino southpaw Randy Petalcorin (29-2-1, 22 KOs), 26, a former interim titlist, for the belt and asked both sides to notify the sanctioning body in writing of their availability for the fight by Friday. If the IBF doesn’t receive notification it will go down its rankings to find the next available contender.