Eddie Hearn Backs Dmitry Bivol’s WBC Sacrifice

On April 7, it was revealed that Dmitry Bivol’s status as undisputed light heavyweight champion was over. His team notified the WBC that he had decided to vacate the title and was withdrawing from the scheduled purse bids for a mandatory defence against interim champion David Benavidez. Following that news, Eddie Hearn spoke to Fight Hub TVand revealed why Bivol decided to vacate and their intentions for the future.

Bold WBC Title Decision from Dmitry Bivol

Eddie Hearn Supports Dmitry Bivol

Hearn made it clear he supports Bivol’s decision and offers insight into why the choice to vacate was made. With one win each, it’s clear the desire is to make the trilogy due to Turki Alalshikh making the rematch for undisputed happen so quickly: “His Excellency went out and made the rematch when he didn’t have to, and part of that deal was if we win, they’ll be a third fight for Artur Beterbiev.”

“So, I was very surprised at the speed of the order (Bivol vs Beterbiev). Don’t forget, Dmitry Bivol had only just had only just won the WBC title. You always get grace as a champion. It wasn’t like this was orderedway back and, you know, Benavidez has been waiting.”

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“He only just beat Morrell, and it’s like, right, boom, negotiations, boom, purse bid, Boom, telling people the public offer. I mean, when has there ever been a time where, you know, someone from the organization is publicly telling about the offer that Dmitry Bivol had received?”

Hearn Discusses Trilogy Choice

It appears Bivol-Beterbiev 3 will be happening next and Hearn continued to talk about the decision to pursue the trilogy fight: “It’s quite bizarre actually. And it’s like, trying to put pressure on him to take the fight. The money’s nowhere near the money that he’s going to make to fight Beterbiev, but it doesn’t matter if the offer was 20 million. We have a contract and we also have our word, which is our bond, which we don’t ever go against, and we will be taking the third fight and we will be fighting with His Excellency because he’s given Dmitry the greatest opportunity.”

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“And by the way, in my opinion, and it’s very difficult for Mauricio and the WBC because you’re under a huge amount of pressure from all different parties pushing and you know. It’s very important that the greatest fights in the sport areallowed and they supersede sometimes a mandatory obligation. For me, Bivol-Beterbiev is the greatest fight in the division. We’ve seen two of the best fights I’ve ever seen. Why wouldn’t you allow the third, for undisputed?”