Noel Mikaelian couldn’t be more certain that he beat Badou Jack five months ago.

With more time to prepare for their immediate rematch, the former WBC cruiserweight champion is convinced he’ll regain his title by beating Jack even easier December 13. Their second fight, which The Ring first reported would take place on that date in Los Angeles, was officially announced Wednesday.

The 12-round rematch between Sweden’s Jack (29-3-3, 17 KOs) and Germany’s Mikaelian (27-3, 12 KOs) will headline Championing Mental Health’s “CMH 2: Rematch Season” card at Ace Mission Studios.

“I took the fight [May 3] on just three weeks’ notice because I wasn’t about to let anyone walk away with my title, and I still beat him,” Mikaelian said in a press release. “The world knows it, and he knows it. This time, I’m coming in fully prepared, focused, and backed by my home coach, Pedro Diaz, to take back what’s mine. I’m the WBC king, as I never lost it in the ring!”

Jack, 43, won the WBC belt from Mikaelian, 35, by winning a 12-round majority decision May 3 on the Canelo Alvarez-William Scull undercard at ANB Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

CompuBox’s unofficial punch stats favored Mikaelian, but Jack won on two scorecards. Judge Nobuto Ikehara scored the action even, 114-114, but Pablo Gonzalez and Jose Manzur credited Jack with winning by the same score, 115-113.

“My sights were set on a unification, but I’m glad I’m fighting him again,” Jack said. “This time there won’t be any questions when I beat him.”

Mikaelian filed an appeal with the WBC following Jack’s controversial victory. The WBC ordered a purse bid for July 15 once Mikaelian was granted an immediate rematch and their teams couldn’t agree on contractual terms.

The purse bid was canceled, but later rescheduled for September 5. Bash Boxing out-bid King last month to earn the promotional rights to Jack-Mikaelian II.

Jack is The Ring’s fifth-ranked cruiserweight contender for a title owned by Australia’s Jai Opetaia (28-0, 22 KOs). Mikaelian is rated sixth.

Jack, a former WBC super middleweight champ, replaced Mikaelian’s original opponent, injured Ryan Rozicki, for their first fight on less than one month’s notice. The WBC made Mikaelian its champion in recess because his fight with Rozicki was postponed multiple times due to Rozicki’s injuries and Mikaelian’s promotional issues with Don King.

The WBC eventually demoted Mikaelian to champion in recess, even after he assured the sanctioning organization his issues with King were settled, and reinstated Jack, who was champion in recess, as champion. Mikaelian won the then-vacant WBC belt by stopping Junior Makabu in the third round of their November 2023 bout in Miami, where Mikaelian resides and trains.

Jack stopped Makabu to win that same championship in February 2023. The WBC downgraded Jack to champion in recess because he was considering other opportunities, which enabled Mikaelian and Makabu to fight for the vacant crown.