Dmitry Bivol’s team will soon be forced to make a decision as to his next move.
The 34-year-old from Russia currently holds all four light heavyweight world titles after a rematch win over Artur Beterbiev after falling short on points in their first meeting.
Given that the rivalry is now one apiece, both men have expressed interest in a trilogy bout. That route is also backed by Riyadh Season’s Turki Alalshikh, who was instrumental in bringing the fighters together after years of failed attempts.
However, with the undisputed title comes mandatory challengers, and the WBC has announced former two-time super middleweight champion and now contender at light heavyweight, David Benavidez, is to get his shot.
Benavidez won the WBC Interim belt against Oleksandr Gvozdyk in his divisional debut and then added the WBA Regular title with a win over David Morrell. The WBC’s President Mauricio Sulaiman has now provided an update on the order, announcing that the purse bids will take place tomorrow as planned, meaning no deal has been reached by the two teams.
The purse bid for WBC champion Bivol vs WBC interim champion Benavidez is set for tomorrow April 8 at 10 am Mexico City time @bivol_d@MatchroomBoxing@SampsonBoxing@TGBpromotions@WBCBoxingpic.twitter.com/rWlmELaEp1
— Mauricio Sulaiman (@wbcmoro) April 7, 2025
The mandatory defence has been clouded by Alalshikh publicly declaring that he does not want Bivol to take the fight. Benavidez’ side say they will accept nothing less than a shot at the belts, ruling out any step aside deal. What makes matters more complicated is that the Mexican-American’s promoter Sampson Lewkowicz has declared the fight should be taking place in the US and not Saudi Arabia, where Bivol’s last three fights have played out.
One or both teams may request an extension if they feel a deal can be struck, so it is so far unclear if the purse bids will proceed as planned.
