Dmitry Bivol Undergoes Elbow Surgery, Delaying Return

Dmitry Bivol (25-1, 12 KOs) has undergone successful left elbow surgery, pushing his return to the ring back and casting further uncertainty over both a third fight with Artur Beterbiev (21-1, 20 KOs) and the future of his WBO light heavyweight title.

The WBO has ordered Bivol to defend his title against interim champion Callum Smith, but promoter Eddie Hearn believes Bivol may instead vacate the belt to pursue the Beterbiev trilogy. If Bivol relinquishes the title, Smith could be elevated to full champion, with Hearn interested in matching him against Joshua Buatsi in a rematch. No final decision or matchup has been officially confirmed, and Bivol must first recover from surgery before his next move can be finalized.