The undefeated southpaw Iglesias is big, powerful and throws a lot of punches. At 27, he’s still young, and it would be a nightmare for the 5-foot-8 Canelo to fight later in his career. It’s not just him, though.

Therefore, with Canelo likely declining to fight Iglesias for the vacant IBF belt, the sanctioning body will move down the rankings to provide an opportunity for either No. 4 Jaime Munguia or No. 5 Callum Simpson. Munguia already has options for other fights against more established contenders in the 168-pound division. It’s unlikely he would agree to a fight with Owsley.

Callum Simpson was eliminated in the tenth round by Troy Williamson on December 20, 2025. The IBF may choose not to ask Simpson because he took so much punishment in the loss.

Hamza Shiraz is ranked sixth in the IBF rankings, but he has other options to fight for the vacant WBC or WBO belt. Arguably, he has a better chance of winning one of those belts than he does fighting former Cuban amateur talent Iglesias. On paper, this looks like a bad game for Shirazi.

Why silymarin makes the most sense

Pavel Silyagin is ranked seventh in the IBF rankings. He remains undefeated, but has faced no clear opponents in his five-year career. If anyone asked him, he would probably accept the fight. Silyagin, 32, is not a power puncher and struggled to defeat the little-known Pablo Exequiel Corzo in his last fight on July 5, 2025.

If Silyakin doesn’t have a lot of power with his punches, he’ll be fighting Osleys Iglesias for the IBF title if the IBF gives him the chance. My prediction is that Silyakin will eventually face Iglesias because it makes the most sense for him to take the fight.

Crawford saw this coming

Had Crawford not relinquished his IBF title, he would have soon been ordered to defend the 6-foot-2 Owsley. This will be a very difficult fight for Crawford as he won’t be able to dominate with his long jab like he did against Canelo.

Iglesias has the same range but a more powerful jab. If Crawford doesn’t leave, he’ll have problems against Iglesias. He’s a textbook example of a demon, and people have good reason to avoid him.