Dmitry Bivol Talks Start for 175-Pound Undisputed Fight
dmitry bivol is in talks for an undisputed light heavyweight fight against David Benavidez, with Eddie Hearn saying discussions have started with Benavidez’s camp. The bout would bring together Bivol’s three belts and Benavidez’s WBC title if both keep winning in May.
Hearn and Luis De Cubas
“That’s a fight that we’re discussing with Louis De Cubas,” Hearn said, laying out the first real sign that a Bivol-Benavidez matchup is being built. He said the talks have taken place with Benavidez’s co-promoter, Luis De Cubas, which puts the negotiation path on record rather than leaving it as speculation.
Bivol currently holds the WBA, IBF and WBO light heavyweight titles. Benavidez owns the WBC belt after moving to the top of the division earlier this year, and that split makes this one of the cleanest title-fight setups available at 175 pounds.
May Bouts in Las Vegas and Russia
Benavidez is scheduled to face Gilberto Ramirez on May 2 in Las Vegas, while Bivol is set to defend against Michael Eifert on May 30 in Russia. Those fights sit directly in front of the bigger matchup, and both men have to get through them before any undisputed title bout can move ahead.
Ramirez is the unified WBA and WBO cruiserweight champion, and the matchup gives Benavidez a high-level test before any move toward the full light heavyweight crown. Bivol’s assignment is different but equally important: he has to protect the titles he already controls before the division’s four-belt picture can change.
Four Belts at 175 Pounds
If both win, all four major belts at 175 pounds would be in play. That is the practical prize behind the talks, and it is why Bivol-Benavidez has immediate weight even before contracts are signed.
Hearn also praised Benavidez for chasing difficult fights across divisions, saying, “We need guys like that who want to be great. Want to win the belts, want to become unified and undisputed, want to become multi-weight world champions.” For readers following the division, the next step is simple: both men must clear their May opponents before the undisputed conversation can turn into an actual fight.
