Former undisputed champion Dmitry Bivol gives unfortunate update on next fight

Unified light heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol has announced that he will not be fighting until 2026.

This news came after Bivol underwent back surgery to fix an old injury which has plagued him for the past 10 years.

In a post on Instagram, Bivol stated that up to eight weeks of recovery will be needed before he can get back into some form of training. 

"Following my doctor’s advice, I had to undergo surgery for a past back injury which I’ve been dealing with for over ten years, but it kept getting worse with each training camp," Bivol wrote.

"Everything went well, and I’m feeling much better already. A 6–8 week recovery period lies ahead, after which I plan to start training again.

"Thank you all for your support — I look forward to new challenges in the next year!"

DAZN

Before the announcement of Bivol's injury, it was expected that he would face Artur Beterbiev in a trilogy fight after making it one win apiece in February.

But while Bivol recovers, Beterbiev is keeping himself active and will face Deon Nicholson in Riyadh later this year. 

If Bivol and Beterbiev meet in a trilogy bout next year, unlike the previous two encounters, it will not be for the undisputed light heavyweight title after the former relinquished his WBC belt which is now held by the American David Benavidez. 

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