Dmitry Bivol has put to bed claims that he avoided a third showdown with Artur Beterbiev.
Beterbiev and Bivol are level at one apiece after two memorable battles, in which both men have had their taste of undisputed light heavyweight glory.
After Bivol’s revenge victory in February, the 34-year-old opted to vacate his WBC title after being ordered to face David Benavidez and was expected to face Beterbiev in a third fight.
However, the 40-year-old instead announced his return to the ring against Deon Nicholson on November 22 on the undercard of Benavidez’s first world title defence since being elevated to full champion against Anthony Yarde in Riyadh.
This led to some fans accusing Bivol of avoiding a third meeting with his Russian rival, however the unified champion has now revealed the true reason for it falling by the wayside.
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The 34-year-old underwent surgery on a back injury which is set to keep him sidelined for up to two months.
Bivol posted on Instagram: “Following my doctor’s advice, I had to undergo surgery for a past back injury which I’ve been dealing with for over ten years, but it kept getting worse with each training camp.
“Everything went well, and I’m feeling much better already.
“A 6–8 week recovery period lies ahead, after which I plan to start training again.
“Thank you all for your support — I look forward to new challenges in the next year!”
Beterbiev handed Bivol the first defeat of his professional career with a contentious majority decision victory last October, but suffered a maiden professional loss earlier this year, losing by the same result to his countryman.
Prior to Bivol revealing his injury, Beterbiev claimed his rival avoided a third clash in Russia.
“Our next fight was supposed to take place in Russia,” the 40-year-old said in a post on Instagram.
“You know what we’re talking about now. The third fight with @bivol_d.
“We were offered great conditions, which were almost impossible to refuse.
“For my part, I did everything to make the third fight happen, but my opponent chose the path of retreat again.
“I’ve waited long enough and I don’t intend to wait any longer.
“Sitting around doing nothing while someone else is resting is too much.
“See you on November 22 in Riyadh. I’m continuing my journey, no matter what.”
