Bivol Defends Three Light Heavyweight Belts Against Callum Smith on DAZN
Dmitry Bivol puts the WBA, IBF and WBO light heavyweight titles on the line against Callum Smith on December 12.
DAZN has officially confirmed its coverage of Dmitry Bivol's December 12 title defense against Callum Smith at the UMMC Arena in Yekaterinburg, Russia, per Boxing News 24.
Bivol will put three light heavyweight belts on the line: the WBA, IBF and WBO titles. A win for Smith would make him a two-division world champion.
"An unmissable world title unification between Dmitry Bivol and Callum Smith lands on DAZN," the platform announced in a promotional post.
Smith's most recent win came in February 2025 against Joshua Buatsi. He was scheduled to defend his WBO interim title against David Morrell on April 18 in Liverpool, but a training camp injury forced him out less than two weeks before the event. By December 12 he will have been out of the ring for nearly 22 months.
Bivol continues to collect hardware at 175 pounds after the collapse of a third fight with Artur Beterbiev. Fighting in his home country gives him a clear comfort advantage, and Smith will need to shake off significant ring rust to compete at the level required.
The fight was first announced on October 12 with DAZN already attached as the broadcaster. No undercard has been announced.
Bivol is collecting belts like they're going out of style, and Smith is the latest guy who gets to play challenger in a fight that looks good on paper but probably isn't that close in reality.
Smith hasn't fought in almost two years. That kind of layoff at this level is brutal, and walking into Yekaterinburg against a guy who's basically untouchable at 175 is a tall order. Bivol's jab alone might be enough to keep Smith guessing all night.
I respect Smith for taking the fight. He beat Buatsi, he earned his shot, and becoming a two-division champion would be a real accomplishment. But Bivol is a different animal. I see a methodical decision win for Bivol, probably lopsided on the cards.
