Dmitry Bivol became undisputed light heavyweight champion in February 2024 when he defeated Artur Beterbiev by majority decision, avenging a loss from their first meeting four months earlier.
Since then, Bivol has vacated the WBC title and has been recovering from back surgery, with a return scheduled against Michael Eifert at the end of May in Yekaterinburg, Russia, where he is set to defend his WBA, WBO, and IBF titles.
By taking this fight, Bivol is protecting his belts from being stripped by the IBF. If he doesn’t fight Eifert, he loses a title in a meeting room instead of a ring. Keeping all the belts is his biggest bargaining chip for a massive payday against Benavidez or a Beterbiev trilogy later this year.
David Benavidez currently holds the WBC title and is scheduled to face Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez at cruiserweight on May 2 in Las Vegas. He has indicated that he plans to return to light heavyweight after that bout.
This cruiserweight jump is a strategic “side quest” for David Benavidez. While he is technically moving up to challenge for the WBA and WBO cruiserweight titles on May 2, 2026, his long-term sights remain firmly set on the 175-pound division.
With Dmitry Bivol sidelined until early 2026 due to back surgery and Artur Beterbiev also aging/recovering, the 175-pound title scene was temporarily frozen.
By moving to cruiserweight now, Benavidez avoids inactivity, maintains his conditioning, and momentum. If he beats Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez, he becomes a three-division world champion. Holding two cruiserweight belts gives him massive bargaining power when he returns to light heavyweight to demand the Bivol or Beterbiev fights.
Crawford made his assessment in response to a question on social media, giving a one-word answer when asked who would win.
“50-50.”
Bivol and Benavidez are expected to be on similar timelines following their upcoming fights, which could position them for a future meeting depending on results.
Read the full article here