Eduardo Nunez has taken the next step to secure his first major title shot.

The Ring has confirmed that the IBF formally ordered a vacant junior lightweight title fight between Mexico’s Nuñez (28-1, 28 KOs) and Japan’s Masanori Rikiishi (16-1, 11 KOs). The two sides will have until March 2 to reach an agreement and avoid a purse bid hearing.

As previously reported by The Ring, however, their respective camps have not only already made initial contact but already envision a fight to take place later this spring.

Nuñez, The Ring's No. 7 junior lightweight, is the mandatory challenger to the IBF 130-pound title that was recently vacated by Belfast’s Anthony ‘Anto’ Cacace (23-1, 8 KOs). The two were twice ordered by the IBF to reach an agreement but it never resulted in a head-on collision.

Cacace won the belt in an eighth-round stoppage of Joe Cordina, who was 17-0 (9 KOs) at the time of their May 18 meeting in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. His lone title defense came in a Sept. 21 unanimous decision win over faded, former two-time IBF featherweight titlist Josh Warrington at Wembley Stadium in London.

Efforts by Matchroom Boxing to secure a title shot for Nuñez were met with resistance and delay tactics. Cacace stalled for months, despite feedback to IBF from Queensberry and Matchroom that an agreement was reached.

It never resulted in a fight, but rather a declaration from Cacace that he is moving on from his title reign.

Nunez became the mandatory challenger after an eleventh-round knockout of former IBF 130-pound titlist Shavkat Rakhimov in their title eliminator last Feb. 16 in Dushanbe, Tajikistan.

Just one fight has followed—a sixth-round knockout of former title challenger Miguel Marriaga (31-8, 26 KOs) last Aug. 31 at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California. The win saw Nuñez extend his current seventeen-fight knockout and win streak.

Rikiishi remains on a roll since his lone career defeat in just his third pro fight.

The all-action slugger from Yokohama has stopped each of his last five opponents. None boosted his career more than his come-from-behind, twelfth-round knockout of Michael Magnesi last March 22 on the road in Colleferro, Italy. Rikiishi trailed 107-102, 106-103 and 106-103 at the time of the stoppage in their ABEMA-TV aired thriller.

His lone ring appearance since that night came in a second-round knockout of Arnel Baconaje last Oct. 17 at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo.