WBA Orders Dmitry Bivol To Defend Title Vs. Gilberto Ramirez

Dmitry Bivol has been set up for his next fight.

The WBA ordered its light heavyweight champion to fight No. 1 contender Gilbert Ramirez. The two sides have been given until August 10 to work out terms, otherwise, it’ll be sent to a purse bid hearing.

“Bivol’s champion period is conditioned to a term of 24 months and his last mandatory fight was on March 3, 2018, his next one was to be after March 2020,” Carlos Chavez, chairman of the WBA Championship Committee said in a letter, obtained by Boxing Scene.

“For that reason, he must face Ramirez.

“In case they do not reach an agreement in the given time period or any of the parties refused to do so, the WBA will have the right to call the fight a purse bid.”

Bivol (20-0, 11 KOs) is riding off the biggest win of his career, which was against the then pound-for-pound king Canelo Alvarez on May 7 in Las Vegas. Bivol overcame the four-division champion with scorecards of 115-113 all across the board.

The win marked his ninth successful defense of the title he’s had since 2017.

Bivol expressed his desire to take on the winner of the then-upcoming fight between Artur Beterbiev and Joe Smith Jr., but promoters suggested otherwise. Bivol was instead linked with Ramirez and England’s Joshua Buatsi.

But Ramirez (44-0, 30 KOs) emerged as the leading contender after he knocked out Dominic Boesel in the fourth round of their May 14 title eliminator.

Bivol’s next fight also became clearer after Alvarez sought Gennadiy Golovkin for a trilogy fight instead of their contracted rematch clause. They fight on September 17.