Dmitry Bivol and Callum Smith have until August 20 to reach terms for their WBO light heavyweight title fight before the sanctioning body sends the bout to a purse bid.
WBO president Gustavo Olivieri announced Monday that the Championships Committee granted the two sides a final extension. If no agreement is reached, the purse bid will take place August 27 in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Olivieri stated that the extension through August 20 fits the WBO policy of maintaining one world champion per division while eliminating interim belts.
The order puts pressure on Bivol, who holds the WBO title along with the IBF and IBO belts. Callum holds the WBO interim title and has been waiting for his shot at the full championship.
Both fighters work with Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom, which should simplify negotiations compared to promotional rivalries.
Bivol returned from elbow surgery on May 30, defeating Michael Eifert by a 12-round wide unanimous decision in Ekaterinburg, Russia. All three judges scored the fight 120-107.
Smith earned his spot by defeating Joshua Buatsi by unanimous decision in February 2025. That victory gave the former super middleweight champion the WBO interim light heavyweight belt and positioned him for Bivol.
Bivol has a bigger financial option elsewhere. A third fight with Artur Beterbiev offers a far larger purse after they split their first two meetings, leaving the Smith mandatory competing with a much more lucrative fight. That leaves Bivol with nine days to decide how he handles Smith’s challenge.
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Last Updated on 2026/08/11 at 6:05 PM
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