Dmitry Bivol is no longer undisputed light heavyweight champion. On Monday, Bivol opted to vacate his WBC championship one day before a scheduled purse bid for a WBC-ordered fight against interim titleholder David Benavidez.
WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman confirmed the news on X while also announcing Benavidez had been promoted to world champion.
“I have just received a cold and impersonal notification from Dmitry Bivol lawyer, Patrick English, with arguments that are so ridiculous that I rather not discuss informing the WBC that Dmitry Bivol has decided to relinquish his WBC light heavyweight championship,” Sulaiman wrote. “We wish Bivol success and hereby confirm David Benavidez as WBC world light heavyweight champion.”
Rather than facing Benavidez, Bivol will pursue a trilogy fight with Artur Beterbiev. Bivol and Beterbiev first met in October for a long-awaited clash to unify the four world championships between the best fighters in the 175-pound division. Beterbiev won a narrow majority decision with Turki Alalshikh, the power player who was the driving force behind the fight coming together, immediately saying the pair would meet in a rematch.
Bivol won that February rematch, also by majority decision, leaving the two fighters level, with Alalshikh again saying that he would work to put the fighters in the ring for a final time to settle their rivalry.
The WBC called for a mandatory title defense before the trilogy bout and ordered the fight with Benavidez, which led to Bivol’s decision to drop the title.
The Ring obtained the letter from English notifying the WBC of Bivol’s decision.
“Everyone in boxing knows that there is a commitment for a third bout with Artur Beterbiev … we are working to consummate that bout,” English wrote. “In addition, we are dismayed at the inability of the ratings organizations to adhere to the rotation system set up many years ago. You are aware that the [I]BF has claimed to be the lead organization, with justification, for the next Bivol bout.”
The situation is something of a cruel twist of irony for Benavidez, who chased a shot at undisputed super middleweight champion Saul “Canelo” Alvarez for years before finally deciding to move up to light heavyweight when he felt the Alvarez opportunity would never materialize.
It appeared Benavidez may have finally earned his shot at undisputed status when the WBC ordered the fight but the big prize once again eluded him.
Dan Rafel tweeted a brief statement from Benavidez’s promoter, Sampson Lewkowicz, on the situation.
“We will give the winner the opportunity to get the WBC title back at any time,” Lekowicz said. “We are one phone call away to make this fight happen.”
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