Bivol to defend titles against Smith in Russia

Matchroom announced on October 12 that Dmitry Bivol will defend his unified light-heavyweight titles against Callum Smith on December 12 in Yekaterinburg, Russia. The scheduled bout puts Bivol’s possible third fight with Artur Beterbiev on hold, though whether that trilogy will happen remains uncertain. The fight is set for the UMMC Arena, where Bivol has previously competed. Matchroom’s announcement described the contest as a defense of Bivol’s unified titles. Some reports also identify it as a mandatory defense for the World Boxing Organization, but the supplied material does not establish which belts will be formally recognized as at stake. Smith’s last fight was a victory over Joshua Buatsi in February 2025. The December contest would therefore come nearly two years after his most recent bout. Smith, a former super-middleweight champion, has also fought at light heavyweight, where he lost to Beterbiev in January 2024. His other defeat was against Canelo Alvarez, according to the reports. Bivol’s time away from competition followed back surgery, reports said.