Eddie Hearn says Dmitry Bivol still wants Artur Beterbiev trilogy

“There’s a lot of interest in the Beterbiev fight in Russia,” Eddie Hearn told Boxingscene when discussing Bivol’s future.

“This is a fight that is important to Dmitri.

“Dmitri wants the biggest fights in the sport.”

Bivol and Beterbiev have already met twice in one of boxing’s most competitive rivalries. Beterbiev took their first fight before Bivol got revenge in the rematch, leaving the series tied at one win apiece. Plans for a third meeting were delayed after Bivol suffered a back injury that kept him out of the ring for an extended period.

The light heavyweight division continued to move forward during that time. David Benavidez now holds the WBC title, while Callum Smith is in position as Bivol’s mandatory WBO challenger.

Hearn acknowledged that a decision is nearing.

“He had a bit of a run against Eifert, his mandatory, and now he has to decide if he’s going to fight Callum Smith or vacate the WBO,” Hearn said.

“I think the Benavidez fight is a great fight, but so is the Callum Smith fight, and obviously it’s interesting to have both of those guys as our clients.

“So we have to see what’s next.”

A trilogy fight with Beterbiev would be one of the biggest fights in the division, but it could complicate Bivol’s championship situation. Hearn noted that Smith could be elevated to full WBO champion if Bivol chose not to honor his mandatory obligation.

Bivol appears to have several big options on the table, but Hearn has made it clear that a third fight with Beterbiev remains high on the champion’s priority list.