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Dmitry Bivol may be forced to fight Callum Smith

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Image: Dmitry Bivol’s Road Gets Crowded With Callum Smith Mandatory Decision

Dmitry Bivol’s delicate heavyweight schedule is improving again, and the WBO’s latest move could delay both the trilogy with Artur Beterbiev and the fight that David Benavidez has publicly pushed for since his victory over Gilberto Ramirez.

The WBO confirmed this week that unified delicate heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol will be ordered to defend against interim titleholder Callum Smith after his May 30 fight against Michael Eifert in Russia. If the sanctioning body doesn’t change its stance, it will leave little room for the fight that Benavidez has been targeting since Bivol vacated the WBC belt earlier this year.


Bivol has not fought since defeating Artur Beterbiev in a rematch for the undisputed delicate heavyweight title in February 2025. He was later stripped of the WBC title after opting for a trilogy fight with Beterbiev rather than face mandatory challenger David Benavidez.

A back injury then delayed Bivol’s return and created more movement around his remaining titles. Now the WBO appears ready to move his must-see to the front of the queue.

Timing is tricky for Benavidez, who has made no secret of his desire to fight Bivol after moving between delicate heavyweight and cruiserweight. A mandatory defense against Smith would also postpone the long-discussed trilogy with 41-year-old Beterbiev, whose window for a third fight is getting smaller with time.

Smith was originally scheduled to face David Morrell in April, with the winner expected to move into position to fight Bivol later this year. Smith withdrew due to injury, and Morrell instead fought Zak Chelli on May 9. In one of the biggest upsets of the year, Chelli stopped Morrell in the 10th round.

Olivieri also stated that if Bivol refuses to fight Smith, the WBO will instruct Smith to fight “the next highest-ranked contender” for the vacant title.

Bivol’s schedule was already full after losing the WBC belt. If the WBO moves forward, he could soon be forced to choose between retaining another title or finally resolving his unfinished business with Beterbiev.

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Categories Dmitry Bivol, Callum Smith

Last updated: 22/05/2026 at 14:08

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Roy Jones Jr picks the winner of Canelo vs Mbilla: ‘He’s better than people think’

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Roy Jones Jr picks a winner in Canelo’s comeback against Mbilli: “He’s better than people think”

Canelo Alvarez will return to the ring in September in a bid to regain his WBC super middleweight title against Christian Mbilla, and boxing icon Roy Jones Jr has explained what he believes will prove crucial to the outcome of that fight.

Alvarez was injured when he lost the undisputed throne to Terence Crawford in September, and was sidelined when all four titles were transferred due to Crawford’s retirement and subsequent resignation.

However, after successful elbow surgery, Alvarez will once again fight for the title against Mbilla, who was elevated to the full WBC world title after defending his interim belt against Lester Martinez on the Canelo-Crawford card.

While Canelo is undeniably a legend in the super middleweight scene, the 35-year-old has begun to fade in recent outings, leaving fans wondering if he still has what it takes to re-establish himself as the best 168-pound fighter in the world.

In an interview with Boxing News, Jones Jr said that the fight with Mbilli will depend on how hungry the Mexican remains, declaring that Canelo under optimal conditions will be too substantial for the best version of the modern champion.

“It’s a good fight to watch. I like Mbilli, but Canelo is still better than people give him credit for, so I won’t say Mbilli will beat him.

“I know Mbilli is a good player, but I haven’t seen Mbilli really deliver [at the elite level] Already. I’ve seen what Canelo can do, so a hungry Canelo will beat Mbilli, but if he’s not hungry, Mbilli will beat him.

“If he is hungry enough he will win the fight, it all depends on Canelo’s hunger level.

Alvarez vs. fight Mbill will take place on Saturday, September 12which is the culmination of the “Mexico vs. the World” bill, which takes place in Riyad, Saudi Arabia.

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Ryan Garcia and Conor Benn exchange threats despite confusion in the fight

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Image: Ryan Garcia And Conor Benn Exchange 'Steal' Threats Despite Fight Turmoil

Instead, Ryan focused directly on his British rival.

“I’m screaming at Conor Benn like he stole something. Don’t be fooled by the headlines,” Garcia said on the show X.

Benn wasted no time in responding, turning Ryan’s choice of words into his own warning.

“I’m about to steal your title and there’s nothing you can do about it,Benn said.

Both have been linked to a potential clash later this year, and Benn will become a solemn option for Ryan’s next fight. However, negotiations became increasingly complicated after Golden Boy accused Zuffa Boxing of interfering with Ryan’s contractual relationship with the promotional company.

Oscar De La Hoya has publicly maintained that Golden Boy has the final say on Ryan’s next move, while expressing his willingness to work with Dana White and Zuffa if an agreement can be reached.

For the fighters themselves, the appetite for the fight remains unchanged.

Ryan has repeatedly rejected suggestions that Benn poses a solemn threat, while Benn took the opportunity to challenge one of boxing’s biggest names. Their latest exchange provided another insight into the confidence both men bring to a fight that continues to attract robust interest on both sides of the Atlantic.

There may still be legal and promotional hurdles to clear before any official announcement can be made, but Ryan and Benn have made one thing clear: Neither of them is willing to budge an inch in the battle for public opinion before the opening bell even rings.

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Former world champion claims he signed a contract for a rematch with Gervonta Davis but they ‘chose not to do it’: ‘Let’s be clear about that’

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Former world champion says he signed for Gervonta Davis rematch but “they chose not to”: “Let’s make that clear”

Gervonta Davis is expected to return to action later this year, but one former opponent has revealed that he signed a contract for a rematch with “Tank”, but the three-division world champion changed his mind.

Davis hasn’t won a fight in almost two years, and his last fight was against former WBA super featherweight world champion Lamont Roach Jnr in March 2025, where he defended both his WBA lightweight crown and his undefeated record, being fortunate to avoid a draw.

Since then, external issues have kept Davis away from the ring, and his inactivity resulted in the Baltimore knockout fighter being demoted from WBA champion to “champion on hiatus.”

To regain his full world title, Davis will need to defeat 21-year-old mandatory challenger Floyd “Kid Austin” Schofield, a fight that has been ordered by the World Boxing Association.

I’m talking to Fighting the noiseRoach’s recent opponent has now revealed he has signed a contract with Davis for a rematch following their draw, blaming the 31-year-old for missing out on a second fight.

“Obviously this is the rematch I want. They decided not to do the rematch so everyone knows. We were ready, we signed the contract, we did everything we could to make the rematch happen – the other side didn’t. So let’s get it straight.”

“Other than that, I’m not too worried about it. I’m not shying away from a rematch with Gervonta Davis. I did what I had to do that night in the ring, I should have gotten the victory, but it is what it is, life goes on, man, and I’m going to move on to bigger and better things.”

Roach will fight for the vacant WBC lightweight title against William Zepeda on Saturday, August 1. A victory in this fight could result in an intriguing unification and a rematch with Davis if the latter manages to defeat Schofield in the fall.

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