Bivol to Defend Light Heavyweight Belts Against Callum Smith in Russia

Dmitry Bivol has a date for his next title defence. The light heavyweight champion will face Britain's Callum Smith on December 12 at the UMMC in Yekaterinburg, Russia. Matchroom confirmed the bout with an announcement that Bivol will defend his unified light heavyweight championship against Smith.

Bivol holds the regular WBO title along with the IBF, WBA (Super) and Ring belts, while Smith is the WBO interim champion. The WBO wants to unify its title, and the WBA and IBF championships will also be at stake, meaning the winner will leave Yekaterinburg with the WBA, WBO, IBF and Ring titles. The sanctioning bodies want the fight to produce a single champion at 175 pounds. Because Smith holds the interim WBO title and Bivol the regular WBO title, the result will leave the WBO with one champion in the division.

Why Yekaterinburg

Staging the fight in Bivol's home country was not straightforward because of Russia's ongoing war with Ukraine. Moscow would normally be the natural host city, but the bout was placed in Yekaterinburg, around 881 miles from the capital. The choice keeps the fight in Bivol's home country while placing it far from Moscow.

Styles

Bivol is a technical boxer who relies on his jab as his main weapon, using it to start exchanges and break up his opponent's offence. Smith, from Liverpool, stands 6-foot-3 and fights behind a long guard.

Smith tends to counter smaller opponents who come forward to engage. The December 12 winner will hold the WBA, WBO, IBF and Ring light heavyweight titles.