Bivol still holds the IBF, WBA, and WBO belts at 175 pounds. He's now set his sights on a trilogy fight with Artur Beterbiev. The two fighters have faced each other twice before, with each winning once.
Bivol's decision to pursue the Beterbiev fight seems to be driven by both money and legacy. He wants to make a lot of cash and cement his place at the top of the boxing world.
WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman wasn't happy about how Bivol handled the situation. He took to X (formerly Twitter) to express his frustration:
"I have just received a cold and impersonal notification from Dmitry Bivol's lawyer, Patrick English, with arguments so ridiculous that I prefer not to comment on the decision to inform the WBC that Dmitry Bivol has decided to relinquish his WBC light heavyweight championship. We wish Bivol success and confirm David Benavidez as the WBC light heavyweight world champion"
With Bivol out of the picture, Benavidez, known as the "Mexican Monster," has been named the new WBC light heavyweight world champion.
The WBC will now have to decide who Benavidez will face next. Beterbiev and Bivol are off the table, but Morrell could be a possible opponent.
Money seems to be a big factor in Bivol's choices. He's been showing support for Turki on social media, which might have influenced his decision.
The boxing world will be watching closely to see how this all plays out. Bivol's move has shaken things up in the light heavyweight division, and it'll be interesting to see what happens next.