Lee Selby: Challenger Eduardo Ramirez misses weight so title will not be at stake

Lee Selby has been world champion since beating Evgeny Gradovich in May 2015

Wales' Lee Selby looks certain to retain his world IBF featherweight title after challenger Eduardo Ramirez failed to make the weight for Saturday's bout.

The Mexican was eight pounds over the limit [126 pounds] this week.

"The British Boxing Board of Control (BBBoC) say he cannot come in any lower than 9st2lbs (128lbs) for health reasons," promoter Frank Warren said.

"So Lee will remain champion whatever the result."

Ramirez would not officially weigh-in before Friday afternoon, but he now needs to lose too much weight to satisfy the BBBoC guidelines.

Astonishingly, Ramirez also went missing in London ahead of the today's final media conference, which was delayed for an hour as Warren sent assistants to search his hotel.

"We were trying to find him. This is very unprofessional and unacceptable behaviour and it will be very disappointing if Selby is denied another fight at the last moment," Warren confirmed.

Despite being guaranteed to retain his title, the news caps off a miserable year the Welsh boxer who has endured setbacks in and out of the ring.

He saw a fight in January against Jonathan Victor Barros postponed when his opponent failed a blood test, denying him a chance to fulfil a childhood dream of boxing in Las Vegas.

By the time Barros was cleared to meet Selby, this time in London, the Barry-boxer fought even though it came just days after the death of his mother Frankie. Having not been in the ring for so long, Selby felt obliged to box. Just a week later, his grandfather also died.

"After all that has happened in 2017 I've learned to cope with serious disappointment," he said.

"I will just stay professional and focused."