Dmitrij Bivol

Undisputed light heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol could pursue a rematch with Canelo Alvarez or a fight against David Benavidez once he finishes his current obligations in the division. Bivol’s manager Vadim Kornilov outlined the champion’s preferred path in comments relayed by Dan Rafael, explaining that Bivol intends to first handle his IBF mandatory defense before revisiting his rivalry with…

“I want to make the biggest and best fights happen,” Benavidez said. “There’s a lot of tough fights out there. There’s Dmitry Bivol, Artur Beterbiev, and Jai Opetaia.” Benavidez explained that Bivol stands as the most logical target if he moves back to 175 pounds following the Ramirez fight. “Bivol, because he has all the belts at light heavyweight,” Benavidez said. “Then the other monster,…

Smith said the current rankings leave a clear path if he defeats the Cuban contender. “I believe Morrell is one of those fighters,” Smith said to Secondsout. “He’s a really good fighter, but I believe I beat him, and then I look for the next challenge.” The 35-year-old former super middleweight champion said the structure at the top of the division already identifies the opponents he wants…

At 35, coming off a longer-than-expected stretch out of the ring, Smith has described April 18 at the M&S Bank Arena as a homecoming. The reality is sharper than that. He has an opening again, and at this stage of his career, it cannot sit there untouched for long. Smith has not fought in Liverpool since 2019, and he admitted he “didn’t expect to be out of the ring for this long” after his win…

Dmitry Bivol’s ability to postpone his IBF mandatory defense is narrowing, with the sanctioning body rescheduling a purse bid hearing that now moves the champion closer to formal enforcement of his obligation to face Michael Eifert. The IBF confirmed that the purse bid session, originally expected on Friday, will instead take place on Tuesday. The adjustment follows the organization’s standard…