Dmitry Bivol must defend his light-heavyweight title against David Benavidez or risk losing it. The WBC has ordered the fight for February 2025, with Benavidez as the mandatory challenger.
Bivol just won a rematch against Artur Beterbiev last month in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. He took all four light-heavyweight world titles in a majority decision. The judges' scores were exactly the same as their first fight, but this time in Bivol's favor.
Their first bout happened last October. Beterbiev won that one, ending his 20-fight knockout streak. Now, their record stands at 1-1.
The rematch was a close fight. Bivol started well, but Beterbiev gained momentum in the middle rounds. From round 7 onwards, Bivol took control. He even traded punches with the hard-hitting Beterbiev. Eddie Hearn, Bivol's promoter, admitted he feared the worst during those middle rounds.
After the fight, Bivol said he's open to a third match with Beterbiev. Fans don't seem to mind the idea either. But now, there's a new contender in the mix.
David Benavidez, known as "The Mexican Monster," has added some excitement to the light-heavyweight division. He's unbeaten and holds the WBC Interim and WBA Regular titles. Benavidez has won world titles at super-middleweight before. Recently, he's scored points wins over Oleksandr Gvozdyk and David Morrell Jr at light-heavyweight.
The WBC has now ordered Bivol to face Benavidez next. If Bivol doesn't comply, he could lose his title.
Both teams have until April 8 to negotiate the fight. There's a chance they might work out a deal to let Bivol and Beterbiev have their trilogy fight first.
Before Bivol and Beterbiev met, they had beaten most of the top contenders in the division. Now, with Benavidez in the picture, things have gotten more interesting. Beterbiev might feel left out if he doesn't get a third fight, given the 1-1 score between him and Bivol.
