WBC Order Dmitry Bivol To Defend Title Against David Benavidez, Parties Have Until Apr. 8 To Negotiate
Mar 5, 2025
1 min read
Dmitry Bivol isn't short of options for his next fight, but waiting at the beginning of the line is David Benavidez. WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman has confirmed that undisputed 175-pound champion Bivol (24-1, 12 KOs) must defend against Benavidez (30...
Dmitry Bivol isn't short of options for his next fight, but waiting at the beginning of the line is David Benavidez.
WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman has confirmed that undisputed 175-pound champion Bivol (24-1, 12 KOs) must defend against Benavidez (30-0, 24 KOs) next, and the duo have until April 8 to negotiate.
While Bivol-Benavidez has been ordered, there's still a possibility that Artur Beterbiev (21-1, 20 KOs), who lost to Bivol by majority decision last month in Riyadh, seeks a trilogy rematch.
Turki Alalshikh, head of Riyadh Season chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority, has already said that if Beterbiev wants a trilogy, he's going to get it.
Bivol could be forced to relinquish the WBC title in that case, and Benavidez would be left to fight for a vacant belt.
Benavidez was last in action at the beginning of February, beating David Morrell by unanimous decision in a thrilling Las Vegas fight.
He was in attendance at Beterbiev-Bivol 2 in Saudi Arabia three weeks later and revealed he'd been in talks with Alalshikh over plans for his next fight.
Bivol lost to Beterbiev in their first fight on October 12 last year but reversed the decision in their rematch four months later at the ANB Arena.
While the WBC have ruled that Bivol must defend against Benavidez next, the mandatory rotation order has yet to be decided with the other sanctioning bodies.
IBF mandatory Michael Eifert (13-1, 5 KOs) has been waiting as long as two years for his shot, and will likely plead his case to be next in line.
The last mandatory shot at light-heavyweight came in January 2024, when Callum Smith, ranked No. 3 by The Ring at 175 pounds, was knocked out by Beterbiev in the seventh round.
Bivol has openly stated that he's happy to face anyone next, whether that be Benavidez, Beterbiev, or even one of the champions at cruiserweight, which he has hinted he's interested in pursuing.
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