Dmitry Bivol undergoes back surgery, sidelining unified light heavyweight champion until 2026
CBSN
Bivol has filed a medical exemption with the IBF after a successful surgery
Dmitry Bivol's return to the ring will have to wait until 2026. The unified light heavyweight champion announced on social media that he underwent successful back surgery and will not return to the ring this year.
"Following my doctor's advice, I had to undergo surgery for a past back injury which I've been dealing with for over 10 years, but it kept getting worse with each training camp," Bivol said. "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."
Prior to surgery, Bivol's team had been in negotiations with Michael Eifert (13-1, 5 KOs), the IBF's mandatory challenger who has waited on the sidelines while Bivol faced Artur Beterbiev in a pair of highly anticipated fights to crown an undisputed champion at 175 pounds. Beterbiev won the first meeting, while Bivol took a decision to win the four belts in the rematch.
