Dmitry Bivol vacates WBC title, David Benavidez fight to pursue Artur Beterbiev trilogy
(Mark Robinson via Getty Images)
Dmitry Bivol's undisputed title run lasted a mere 44 days.
Bivol, Uncrowned's No. 4 pound-for-pound boxer in the world, informed the WBC on Monday afternoon that he will be vacating its version of the light heavyweight title that he won in his brilliant rematch with Artur Beterbiev in February.
Advertisement
A March 5 ruling from the sanctioning body officially ordered Bivol to defend his championship against WBC interim champion David Benavidez next. With no deal reached, the WBC ordered an April 8 purse bid for Bivol vs. Benavidez, which Bivol has now withdrawn from less than 24 hours before it was scheduled to take place.
According to veteran boxing journalist Dan Rafael, Bivol informed the WBC that he vacated the championship because he is committed to a trilogy fight against Beterbiev, which could take place in October for the opening of Riyadh Season 2025-26.
Beterbiev won a contentious majority decision over Bivol in their first meeting this past October to claim the undisputed crown. The pair rematched in the main event of "The Last Crescendo" show — labeled by some as the greatest boxing card of all time — organized by Turki Alalshikh's Riyadh Season in February.
Advertisement
On that occasion, Bivol saw his hand raised by majority decision to capture all four 175-pound belts. With the pair sharing one win apiece, a third meeting with Beterbiev is viewed as a natural next step for Bivol.
Bivol remains the WBA, IBF and WBO champion. Benavidez is expected to be elevated to full WBC light heavyweight world champion and make the first defense of his crown in the summer.
Although a Bivol vs. Benavidez fight won't take place next, Benavidez's promoter Sampson Lewkowicz is happy to re-explore the matchup should Bivol emerge victorious in his trilogy with Beterbiev.
"We will give the [Bivol vs. Beterbiev 3] winner the opportunity to get the WBC title back at any time," Lewkowicz told Rafael. "We are one phone call away to make this fight happen."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Newsweek
2 hours ago
- Newsweek
Xander Schauffele Ends FedEx Cup Run 'Mentally Tapped,' Aims to 'Cool Off' Before Ryder Cup
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Xander Schauffele finished the BMW Championship with a 3-over score, likely placing him outside the top 30 on the leaderboard. With this performance, he's projected to finish 42nd in the FedEx Cup rankings, effectively ending his regular season. It's a far cry from his previous season, when he won two major championships and finished second in the FedEx Cup. Schauffele said he's ending the season mentally exhausted but already focused on the Ryder Cup. "(The preparation for the Ryder Cup will be) probably more mental than anything else," he told the reporters after finishing at Caves Valley, according to a transcript of the post-round press conference. "I feel like I just need to sort of reset a little bit, cool off a little bit, and just get back to a healthy mental place where I want to sit down and work really hard again. Right now I'm mentally a little tapped." US golfer Xander Schauffele reacts after finishing his round on the 18th green on day four of the 153rd Open Championship at Royal Portrush golf club in Northern Ireland on July 20, 2025. US golfer Xander Schauffele reacts after finishing his round on the 18th green on day four of the 153rd Open Championship at Royal Portrush golf club in Northern Ireland on July 20, 2025. HENRY NICHOLLS/AFP/Getty Images Schauffele is one of three American players already secured on the Ryder Cup team, along with Scottie Scheffler and JJ Spaun. Therefore, although he didn't fully confirm his participation in the Procore Championship, he hinted that the likelihood of him being in Napa, Calif., is very high. "I don't know how many guys have signed up or not (for the Procore Championship), but I wouldn't say there's an expectation for us to play, but a lot of us do want to play just to stay fresh, knock off some rust," Schauffele said, according to WHOM. "I'll have an even longer break, so we'll see how that goes." Schauffele began the season with a back injury, resulting in only 14 tournament appearances. He finished in three top-10s, and his best result was a tie for seventh at The Open Championship. However, in a preliminary analysis of his season, he mentioned one positive aspect not directly related to his on-course results. "At some point I'm going to sit back and reflect and try and learn something from it," he said, according to WHOM. Yeah, it was mentally a long season for me even though it was short. So physically I feel a lot better, which is a plus. No sort of recurring injury, which is a plus. About the only positives I can think of so far." After the Procore Championship and the Ryder Cup, Schauffele will likely take the months of October and November off. He has a good chance of being among Tiger Woods' invitations to the Hero World Challenge, in which case he would play in December. If not, he most likely won't return to competitive golf until the start of the upcoming season. More Golf: Scottie Scheffler Points Out 'Dumb' Tendency of Some Fans at Golf Events
New York Post
3 hours ago
- New York Post
Bengals listening to Trey Hendrickson trade offers as contract talks stall
The Trey Hendrickson contract saga has no end in sight. At an impasse with the Bengals, the team is now listening to trade offers for the four-time Pro Bowl pass rusher, NFL Network reported Sunday. This can all be posturing, of course. NFL Network reported that any deal for Hendrickson would require a haul. Advertisement The Bengals are now listening to trade offers for Trey Hendrickson. Getty Images Back in March, the Bengals granted Hendrickson permission to seek a trade. Nothing came of that and he reported to training camp on time rather than holding out. But the two sides have yet to come to an agreement. Hendrickson, 30, has been a monster for Cincinnati. Since 2021, he has been selected for every Pro Bowl and has 77 career sacks. Last year, he tallied a league-high 17.5 for the second straight season. Advertisement He also had two forced fumbles, 46 tackles and six passes defensed. He was an All-Pro selection and finished second in Defensive Player of the Year voting. Pass rushers similar to Hendrickson have received big deals, like Maxx Crosby (three years-$106.5 million extension). T.J. Watt now makes the most of any edge rusher at $41 million per season. Hendrickson makes $21 million a year. Trey Hendrickson AP Advertisement The star edge rusher has said he wants to remain a Bengal, but at the right price. 'I've been able to achieve All-Pro honors, Pro Bowl honors. It's been a heck of a ride and to play with some of the most talented players in the league like Joe Burrow, Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, Sam Hubbard, Logan Wilson, BJ Hill, I could list every player, Ted Karras is on that list, too,' Hendrickson said recently. 'I'm just tremendously blessed, the relationships I've made. However it shakes out, there's nowhere I'd rather be.'
New York Post
6 hours ago
- New York Post
Olympic rugby star Ilona Maher thinks we've ‘lost the plot' with this health trend: ‘Don't lie to yourself'
Hold the cottage cheese. Pro rugby player Ilona Maher — whose team won the bronze medal in the Paris Olympics — spends plenty of time training to dominate on the pitch. But there's one fitness-focused diet trend that she thinks is a bit over-the-top — and she points to herself as evidence that it's unnecessary. 3 Pro rugby player Ilona Maher thinks the obession with protein has gone a bit off the rails. AP A former athlete herself, Kylie Kelce complained about how 'everything is trying to be high protein' on a June episode of her podcast, Not Gonna Lie, arguing that not everything needs added protein powder. Maher was on the same page, and she's no fan of a low-carb lifestyle either. 'I have a high-protein diet, but I also have probably the highest-carb diet ever,' the 29-year-old Bristol Bears player said. 'I was raised on very high-carb diets. And carbs are really the energy that you need — that's science, truly.' That isn't to say she doesn't eat protein too. 'I get protein in for most meals, but I'm actually not as committed to the bit as I maybe could be. I think I could be leaner … if I was really focusing on protein. But I just don't see — I think I'm fine,' she added. A big issue for both women is the trend of swapping 'real' food for protein-heavy substitutes. In recent years, for example, cottage cheese recipes have blown up on social media, with people using it in place of cream cheese, sour cream, ricotta and even mayo and butter. It's low in fat and high in protein, a combo that can keep you full, increase metabolism and preserve muscle mass. Plus, the curdling process creates bacteria that are good for your gut. 3 Maher, whose team won the bronze medal in the Paris Olympics, eats protein most meals — but she's not swapping 'real food' for protein-ified recipes. Getty Images But Kelce said her concern is people blending up cottage cheese and pretending it tastes like ice cream. 'Don't lie to yourself,' Maher added in agreement. 'I saw a recent one, it was like protein tiramisu. She dips the rice cake in espresso and then she puts Greek yogurt on there. I was like, that's not even f—-ing close!' 'I think we really lost the plot on that,' she said. Though she is working to eat more protein at the urging of her dietitian, for her that means more 'real food.' 'So after training I'll have a quick protein shake — that's very easy, quick protein. But if I can, I'm gonna have the eggs. I love like beef jerky,' she said. 3 'I saw a recent one, it was like protein tiramisu. She dips the rice cake in espresso and then she puts Greek yogurt on there. I was like, that's not even f—-ing close!' she said. Getty Images 'I just think, I mean maybe I'm wrong in science, but I don't know if we need that much. Because I'm doing fine and I just had a bagel this morning.' She's not the first star to take issue with the high-protein craze. This month, Bethenny Frankel also called out the fad. 'The obsession with protein is an out-of-control fad that everyday people are fixated on as if they're training for the Olympics,' she told The Post. 'They can also be calorie-dense. It's another marketing gimmick like keto or carnivore or low carb or all the absurd fads I've witnessed over the years. Balance is key.' In fact, studies show that there is such a thing as eating too much protein — and it can make you gain weight and clog your arteries. 'Consuming excessive protein, particularly from animal sources, raises insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) levels,' Dr. Joseph Antoun, CEO of the longevity company L-Nutra, previously told The Post. Primarily produced in the liver, IGF-1 is a hormone, that plays a crucial role in promoting growth and regulating metabolism. 'While it's essential in childhood and for muscle repair,' Antoun said, 'chronically elevated IGF-1 in adults has been linked to accelerated biological aging and therefore an increased risk of age-related conditions, notably cancer.'
