Bivol vs Smith Set for Dec 12 as Russian Defends Unified Titles

The wait is over. Dmitry Bivol (25-1, 12 KO) will defend his unified light heavyweight titles against former super-middleweight champion Callum Smith (31-2, 22 KO) on December 12 at the UMMC Arena in Yekaterinburg. It's Bivol's second mandatory in seven months, this time clearing his WBO obligation.

This is the same venue where Bivol handled his IBF mandatory in May, outpointing Michael Eifert over the distance. The 25-year reign at the top continues to run through Russia for now, and Smith, currently ranked No. 2 in the division, is the man tasked with ending it.

How Bivol Got Here

Bivol's path has been anything but straightforward. He became undisputed champion by avenging his loss to Artur Beterbiev in February 2025 — turning that first razor-thin defeat into a win — then vacated the WBC strap and disappeared for an extended stretch to undergo back surgery. The absence stacked up mandatory challengers, and he's been clearing them one by one since returning.

What Smith Brings

Smith's resume at 175lbs is thinner than his overall record suggests. The Liverpudlian knocked out George Groves back in 2018 to claim the WBA super-middleweight title, but he's campaigned at light heavyweight since his 2020 decision loss to Canelo Alvarez. His one previous crack at a world title up at this weight ended in a stoppage defeat to Beterbiev in January 2024.

The case for Smith rests largely on his most recent outing: a unanimous-decision win over Joshua Buatsi in February 2025 that many flagged as a Fight of the Year contender. Problem is, that's also the last time he laced up. By December 12 he'll have been out of the ring for nearly two years — a brutal layoff to carry into a world-title night on hostile soil.

For Bivol, the math is simple. Beat Smith and a trilogy fight with Beterbiev (21-1, 20 KO) moves back onto the table, a rubber match to settle one of the division's best rivalries. Smith intends to spoil that plan and pull the upset. The odds, and the inactivity, say he's got a mountain to climb.