Dmitry Bivol vacates WBC light heavyweight title, sanctioning body promotes David Benavidez to full champion
CBSN
Bivol is choosing to pursue a trilogy fight with Artur Beterbiev rather than a mandatory Benavidez bout
Dmitry Bivol is no longer undisputed light heavyweight champion. On Monday, Bivol opted to vacate his WBC championship one day before a scheduled purse bid for a WBC-ordered fight against interim titleholder David Benavidez.
WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman confirmed the news on X while also announcing Benavidez had been promoted to world champion.
"I have just received a cold and impersonal notification from Dmitry Bivol lawyer, Patrick English, with arguments that are so ridiculous that I rather not discuss informing the WBC that Dmitry Bivol has decided to relinquish his WBC light heavyweight championship," Sulaiman wrote. "We wish Bivol success and hereby confirm David Benavidez as WBC world light heavyweight champion."
