Bivol To Undergo Elbow Surgery

Dmitry Bivol (25-1, 12 KOs) will have surgery on July 4 to address an injured left elbow, with the WBO expected to formally order a mandatory title defense against Callum Smith (31-2, 22 KOs) shortly after.

Bivol returned from over a year on the sidelines following back surgery to beat Michael Eifert by unanimous decision on May 30 to remain the unified light heavyweight champion. The surgery adds further delay to a trilogy fight with Artur Beterbiev. David Benavidez has also expressed interest in challenging Bivol for undisputed at 175, but both will have to wait. Smith steps up to the title shot on the back of a February 2025 victory over Joshua Buatsi. A return date will be determined once Bivol has come through the surgery.