Dmitry Bivol could be presented with the opportunity to become a two-time undisputed champion, but only if he wins his next outing against Michael Eifert.
The pair will collide at the UMMC Arena, Russia, on May 30, with Bivol returning from back surgery to make a mandatory defence of his unified crown.
He previously held all four major light-heavyweight titles following his last fight, a majority decision victory over Artur Beterbiev in February 2025.
Shortly after exacting his revenge over Beterbiev, however, Bivol opted to vacate his WBC world title rather than face mandatory challenger David Benavidez, who was then swiftly elevated from ‘interim’ to full champion. In his first defence, he scored a seventh-round stoppage victory over Anthony Yarde in November.
Now, the 29-year-old is bidding to become a three-division world champion against Gilberto Ramirez, who he will face for the WBO and WBA cruiserweight titles this Saturday.
Regardless of the result, though, Benavidez has expressed an interest in moving back down to 175lbs in pursuit of an undisputed clash with Bivol.
Matchroom Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn, has now revealed to Fight Hub TV that talks are already underway for his fighter to face ‘The Mexican Monster’.
“[Benavidez] can come back to light-heavyweight. I think he likes the Bivol fight – that’s a fight we’re discussing with [boxing manager] Luis DeCubas.”
Benavidez has repeatedly claimed that he once hurt the Russian unified champion in sparring, back when he was just 22 years old and campaigning at super-middleweight. Theirs could therefore develop into a compelling rivalry as Bivol aims to return to elite-level competition after taking care of business against Eifert.
