Dmitry Bivol faces August 20 deadline for Callum Smith fight

WBO President Gustavo Olivieri has announced a final extension for light heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol to reach an agreement with mandatory challenger Callum Smith. The parties have until August 20 to finalize terms for the bout.

If an agreement is not reached by the deadline, the World Boxing Organization will conduct purse bid proceedings on August 27 in San Juan, Puerto Rico. This move aligns with the WBO’s policy to maintain a single world champion per division and eliminate interim titles.

Bivol, who currently holds the WBA, WBO, and IBF light heavyweight titles, faces a strategic choice between fulfilling his mandatory obligation to Smith or pursuing a potential trilogy fight against Artur Beterbiev. Callum Smith secured his position as the mandatory challenger following a victory over Joshua Buatsi in February 2025.