Dmitry Bivol and Artur Beterbiev have had two closely contested matches in the past six months, with each boxer securing a majority decision victory. Fans remain split on who the superior fighter is.
Recent speculation hinted at a potential bout between Bivol and WBC mandatory challenger David Benavidez. However, it now appears a third fight against Beterbiev is more likely. Bivol has reportedly vacated his WBC title, opting for the Beterbiev rematch instead of facing Benavidez.
Bivol experienced his first professional defeat against Beterbiev in their initial encounter in October. He was the first opponent to take Beterbiev the full distance in his career, but ultimately lost a decision in a tightly contested match.
In their second fight, Bivol avenged his loss with a majority decision victory, demonstrating excellent boxing skills in the latter half of the fight. While judges scored in Bivol`s favor, some observers believed Beterbiev could have been awarded the win.
Despite the series being tied at one win each, there were doubts about whether a third Bivol-Beterbiev fight would materialize. The prevailing opinion was that the fighters are so evenly matched that a third bout might yield a similarly inconclusive result.
However, it is now reported that Bivol has relinquished his WBC world title to pursue a trilogy fight with Beterbiev, anticipated to take place in October, according to boxing insider Dan Rafael.
Consequently, the WBC has elevated Benavidez from interim to full world champion. It remains to be seen if other sanctioning bodies will follow the WBC`s lead before the rumored October showdown. The IBF has been consistently threatening to strip Bivol of his title in recent months.
Should the IBF decide to strip Bivol of his title, Michael Eifert and Conor Wallace are the likely contenders to compete for the vacant belt, rather than being automatically promoted to champion.
