Dmitry Bivol, the light heavyweight champion who defeated Saúl “Canelo” Álvarez in 2022, announces a break in his career following back surgery. Recovery and future uncertain.

Dmitry Bivol puts his career on hold as he faces his toughest challenge yet

Dmitry Bivol, light heavyweight world champion and the man who shocked the boxing world by defeating Saúl “Canelo” Álvarez in 2022, announced that he will be out of the ring for the rest of 2025 after undergoing successful back surgery.
In a decision that puts his health first, Bivol now faces a recovery process that could last between six and eight weeks, during which time he will seek to overcome an injury that has plagued him for more than a decade.

An injury that had been dragging on for years

“I had to have surgery for an old back injury that I've been dealing with for more than 10 years,” Bivol confessed in an interview with The Ring. “The pain only got worse with each training camp, and I couldn't go on like that anymore.”
The champion (24-1, 12 knockouts) was coming off a moment of glory after winning the rematch by majority decision against Artur Beterbiev, a historic rival who had defeated Bivol in 2022.

However, Bivol opted for recovery and temporarily retired, which angered Beterbiev, who decided to move forward and will face Deon Nicholson in November.
Beterbiev publicly expressed his frustration, making it clear that he will not wait any longer for a third fight.

The team's statement and future plans

Vadim Kornilov, Bivol's manager, supports the decision to put health first. “Dmitry had four consecutive major fights, but his back pain worsened and doctors warned that it would only get worse,” he said. According to Kornilov, they preferred to address the problem now to avoid cancellations and complications in future fights.
Bivol appreciates the support and anticipates returning to training in a few weeks, with his sights set on new challenges for 2026.