Dmitry Bivol Set To Drop WBO Belt And Target Artur Beterbiev Trilogy

Dmitry Bivol is ready to move away from his ordered WBO title defence against Callum Smith and pursue a third fight with Artur Beterbiev, according to Matchroom Boxing head Eddie Hearn.

Bivol, who holds The Ring, IBF, WBA and WBO light-heavyweight titles, was ordered by the WBO earlier this month to face interim champion Smith, with the sides given until July 26 to reach an agreement. Smith had said negotiations were under way, while Bivol’s minor elbow operation was rescheduled from last week to around July 20.

Hearn, however, has now indicated that Bivol’s preference is to reopen talks for the trilogy with Beterbiev rather than proceed with the Smith mandatory. “Vadim Kornilov and Bivol have told me to please begin negotiations with Umar Kremlev, or RCC Boxing Promotions. We’re ready to make the Beterbiev fight. That’s the fight Dmitry wants,” Hearn told reporters on Saturday after the Pacheco vs Aleem Fight.

The development places the WBO title picture in immediate uncertainty. Hearn said: “Dmitry is due to fight Callum Smith. I think it’s unlikely he’ll defend against Smith. I think Smith will fight Joshua Buatsi for the vacant title. But Bivol is ready to make the Beterbiev fight.” Smith and Buatsi already shared a fight-of-the-year contender in 2025, which Smith won.

Bivol and Beterbiev have split two narrow majority decisions in Saudi Arabia on cards backed by Turki Alalshikh. Beterbiev won their first meeting in October 2024 to become undisputed light-heavyweight champion, before Bivol reversed the result in February 2025 to regain the crown.

Since then, the third fight has been caught between sanctioning obligations, injury issues and competing claims over negotiations. Bivol vacated the WBC title in April 2025 rather than face then-mandatory challenger David Benavidez, later underwent back surgery in August, and returned on May 30 in Ekaterinburg, Russia, where he outpointed IBF mandatory challenger Michael Eifert.

Kremlev claims Bivol offers were rejected

IBA president Umar Kremlev has publicly pushed to stage Bivol-Beterbiev III and claimed that Bivol’s side had not accepted lucrative offers. “Everyone is waiting for this fight. I don’t know why Bivol and his team are not accepting the offer, but I will do my best to make this fight happen,” Kremlev told The Ring. “I’m very disappointed.”

Kremlev said the IBA had made written offers and that Beterbiev’s side was prepared to proceed. “The offer we made to Bivol for the third fight was considerably bigger than the first two fights. Specifically, Bivol was given two times a bigger offer than in previous fights. Beterbiev will fight for free just to make this fight happen.”

He also said the IBA could stage the bout in Russia or elsewhere, adding: “I can assure everyone that we are ready to organize the third fight at the highest level. We can stage the fight for 100,000 fans if it happens in Russia but are also open to bringing it wherever it needs to be. The most important thing is that the fight needs to happen. I’m confident it’s going to be another great fight.”

Hearn rejected reports that Bivol had already turned down a specific $14 million offer. “None of that is true. You know, firstly, I heard reports that Bivol has been offered $14 million to fight Beterbiev,” Hearn said. “If those people are watching right now, call me and make that offer, and he will accept it immediately.”

Beterbiev has not fought since losing the rematch, and Kremlev has said the former champion remains eager to settle the rivalry. The WBO situation now becomes the first issue to resolve, with Bivol and Smith still inside the negotiation window but Hearn already discussing a vacant-title route involving Smith and Buatsi.

There are also wider implications at light-heavyweight. Ben Whittaker is scheduled to face Conor Wallace in an IBF title eliminator on October 3 at Utilita Arena in Birmingham, with the winner positioned for a shot at Bivol’s unified titles or a vacant IBF belt if the title picture changes.

Bivol’s team now face a short deadline to either satisfy the WBO order or formally move towards the Beterbiev negotiations Hearn says they have requested. If Bivol vacates, Smith’s next move is expected to centre on the vacant WBO title, while talks for the trilogy would shift towards Kremlev, RCC Boxing Promotions and the financial terms needed to bring Bivol and Beterbiev together again.