WBC 7-Day Weights: Alvarez 180.6, Bute 179

Eleider Alvarez and Lucian Bute remain on course for their World Boxing Council (WBC) light heavyweight final title elimination bout. The pair of Canada-based boxers were both well within the required weight limit during the sanctioning body's mandatory 7-day pre-fight safety weight check.

With the boxers due to weigh in no heavier than 184 lbs (5% above the 175-pound contracted limit, rounded up to the nearest pound), Bute came in almost at fighting weight at 179 lbs., while Alvarez tipped the scales at 180.6 lbs. Their 12-round clash takes place Friday, February 24 at Centre Videotron in Quebec City, Canada.

As is the case with any bout sanctioned by the Mexico City-headquartered organization, all boxers who participated in a WBC title fight or official eliminator are required to weigh in 30 days and 7 days ahead of their scheduled contests. Participants cannot be any heavier than 10% above the contracted limit 30 days out, and 5% above the limit seven days out.

Of course, both light heavyweights will have to hit the 175-pound mark during their official pre-fight weigh-in next Thursday.

Alvarez (21-0, 10KOs) enjoys a relatively quick ring turnaround, as the 32-year old is coming off of a 10-round points win over Norbert Dabrowski last December in his adopted hometown of Montreal. The Colombia-born boxer has been extended the full distance in each of his past four starts.

While he comes in the younger and fresher boxer, Alvarez is still stepping way up in class heading into this bout. In Bute, he faces a former super middleweight titlist who has in recent years shown signs of life at the championship level.

Unfortunately, he has also shown that it could've come with outside influence.

On the heels of his strong showing - albeit in a losing effort - versus super middleweight titlist James DeGale in Nov. '15, Bute (32-3-1, 25KOs) was given a second straight shot at an alphabet crown. The Romania-born southpaw - whom now lives in Laval (Quebec) and boasts dual citizenship in Canada and Romania - was granted a crack at Badou Jack last April. Their clash ended in a disputed 12-round draw, although the real controversy came after the fact when he tested positive for traces of Ostarine.

Bute insisted he was innocent and that whatever findings came from tainted supplements he ingested while training. He ultimately accepted responsibility, his punishment coming with a modest fine and suspension although he still lands an elimination bout despite having not posted a win since Aug. '15.