Bivol to fight Britain’s Callum Smith in Yekaterinburg on December 12
In short
RCC Boxing said on 7 October that all documents are signed for a light-heavyweight title fight between Russia’s Dmitry Bivol and Britain’s Callum Smith, planned for 12 December in Yekaterinburg. An official announcement is pending approval from the WBO, WBA, IBF and The Ring. The promoter had waited for the WBO to lift restrictions on title fights in Russia, in place since 2022.
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All documents for a light-heavyweight title fight between Russia’s Dmitry Bivol and Britain’s Callum Smith are signed, with the bout planned for 12 December in Yekaterinburg. RCC Boxing CEO German Titov said the sides “finished long negotiations” on Wednesday, 7 October, according to Kommersant, which cited the promoter’s press service. Smith has signed the contract for the fight, RBC and RIA Novosti reported. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Bivol, 35, holds the championship belts of the WBO, WBA, IBF and The Ring, with 25 wins, 12 of them by knockout, and one defeat, Kommersant reported. Smith, 36, is WBO interim champion and mandatory challenger, with 33 wins, 22 by knockout, and two defeats. [ 3 ]
An official announcement will follow agreement with the WBO, the WBA, the IBF and The Ring, Titov said. Kommersant reported that WBO approval is not a formality: in May 2026, WBO president Gustavo Olivieri said Bivol would be obliged to fight Smith and that the belt could be declared vacant if he refused. The organisation has not staged title fights in Russia since 2022, and the promoter had been waiting for restrictions to be lifted, the paper reported. [ 3 ]
Smith had been identified as Bivol’s next opponent in early July, and the fight in Yekaterinburg on 12 December had been expected, according to Kommersant. The paper added that Bivol had previously named the unification of championship belts against Artur Beterbiev as his priority. [ 3 ]
Why it matters
The bout would put a unified light-heavyweight title on the line on Russian soil, which the promoter says required approval from the WBO, a body that the Kommersant report says has not staged title fights in Russia since 2022. Approval by the WBO also determines whether Bivol keeps his belt, since the organisation had said he would be obliged to face Smith.
Key facts
- RCC Boxing CEO German Titov said the sides finished long negotiations on Wednesday, 7 October, and that all documents needed to organise the fight are signed. [ 3 ]
- The fight between Dmitry Bivol and Callum Smith is planned for 12 December in Yekaterinburg. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Callum Smith has signed the contract for the bout. [ 1 , 2 ]
- The official announcement will be made after agreement with the WBO, WBA, IBF and The Ring. [ 3 ]
- Bivol, 35, has 25 wins, 12 by knockout, and one defeat, and holds the championship belts of those organisations. [ 3 ]
- Smith, 36, has 33 wins, 22 by knockout, and two defeats, and is WBO interim champion and mandatory challenger. [ 3 ]
- Kommersant reported that the WBO has not staged title fights in Russia since 2022. [ 3 ]
Confirmed by several sources
Still unclear
- Whether the WBO has lifted its restrictions on title fights in Russia. Kommersant says only that the promoter was waiting for the sanctions to be lifted and that the organisation had not held title fights in Russia since 2022; no document states that they have been lifted.
- The exact date and venue confirmation, and whether the official announcement has already been made. Kommersant describes 12 December as a planned date and says the official announcement will come after agreement with the sanctioning bodies and The Ring.
- The status of Bivol’s WBO belt if the approval is not granted. Kommersant reports that in May 2026 WBO president Gustavo Olivieri said Bivol would be obliged to fight Smith and that the belt could be declared vacant if he refused; the documents do not say how that question was resolved.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- RBC reports that Briton Callum Smith has signed a contract for a fight to be held on 12 December in Yekaterinburg. [ 1 ]
- RIA Novosti reports that Smith has signed the contract to fight Bivol. [ 2 ]
- Kommersant reports RCC Boxing CEO German Titov’s statement that negotiations are finished and all documents are signed, with the fight planned for 12 December in Yekaterinburg. [ 3 ]