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Eddie Hearn says Dmitry Bivol must decide whether to defend his WBO light heavyweight title against interim champ Callum Smith or pursue other options.
Bivol has been linked to several high-profile options following his recent victory over Michael Eifert, including a trilogy bout with Artur Beterbiev and a potential showdown against WBC light heavyweight champion David Benavidez. Both matchups would likely generate significantly more interest and financial reward than a mandatory defense against Smith.
Hearn indicated that the WBO interim champion remains firmly in the picture.
“He’s got a mandatory against Callum Smith now that’s been ordered,” Hearn said to Boxingscene.
“If he wants to take one of those fights that we just said, he’ll also have to drop the WBO belt.”
Hearn said that Smith’s next move will involve a world title one way or another.
“We’ll look to make Callum Smith for the world title next, whatever happens,” said Hearn.
Callum captured the WBO interim light heavyweight title by defeating Joshua Buatsi, positioning himself as the mandatory challenger for Bivol’s belt. Yet the timing may ultimately work against him.
From Bivol’s perspective, a fight against Smith presents a difficult calculation. The Russian star could command larger purses against Beterbiev or Benavidez, while Smith represents a dangerous opponent without the same commercial upside.
Unlike recent challenger Michael Eifert, Smith is a former world champion with size, power and momentum behind him, factors that could influence Bivol’s decision as potential fights against Artur Beterbiev and David Benavidez remain on the table.
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Last Updated on 2026/06/12 at 6:41 PM
