Artur Beterbiev posted on Instagram today, revealing the reason his third clash with unified light heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol has failed to materialize.<\/p>\n
Bivol \u2018Retreats\u2019 from Third Fight<\/strong><\/p>\n The former undisputed 175-lb champion Bivol chose to \u201cretreat\u201d<\/strong> because he wanted to \u201crest\u201d<\/strong>, and he\u2019s not going to sit and wait for him.<\/p>\n Beterbiev (21-1, 20 KOs) states that they had been \u201coffered great conditions\u201d for the trilogy match that were \u201calmost impossible to refuse.\u201d He says he was on board with the fight, but Bivol didn\u2019t want it. As such, Artur is moving on and will fight Deon Nicholson on November 22nd in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.<\/p>\n Beterbiev\u2019s Path to Benavidez?<\/strong><\/p>\n It\u2019s a rare undercard assignment for Beterbiev, but there\u2019s a possibility that he could face WBC light heavyweight champion David Benavidez in the first quarter of 2026. Turki Alalshikh\u2019s inclusion of Beterbiev on The Ring IV card on November 22nd is the ideal setup to create fan interest in a Beterbiev-Benavidez clash for early next year.<\/p>\n Benavidez is headlining the card against Anthony Yarde. Having Beterbiev on the undercard will allow fans to see them both in action. If Beterbiev enters the ring after \u2018The Mexican Monster\u2019 Benavidez\u2019s fight against Yarde, they can begin an early promotion for their fight.<\/p>\n Beterbiev Reveals Bivol\u2019s \u2018Rest\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cOur next fight was supposed to take place in Russia. You know what we\u2019re talking about now\u2014the third fight with Dmitry Bivol. 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,\u201d<\/strong> said Artur Beterbiev on Instagram<\/a> about why his trilogy match with Bivol has failed to happen.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve waited long enough, and I don\u2019t intend to wait any longer. Sitting around doing nothing while someone else is resting too much. See you on November 22 in Riyadh. I\u2019m continuing my journey, no matter what,\u201d said Beterbiev.<\/p>\n