Dmitry Bivol will look to make the fifth defense of his WBA light heavyweight title when he steps into the ring to face Joe Smith Jr. on March 9 at the Turning Stone Resort & Casino in Verona New York, live and exclusively on DAZN.

Last time out, Bivol dominated former unified champion Jean Pascal in New Jersey with a unanimous decision victory on Nov. 24. Meanwhile, Smith is coming off dropping Melvin Russell in the first round to win via knockout when the pair fought in Connecticut on June 30.

Both boxers can't wait for the fight.

“I am glad to finally meet Joe in the ring,” said Bivol in a Matchroom Boxing press release statement. “I saw his fights against [Andrzej] Fonfara and [Bernard] Hopkins live and always wanted to test my skills against him. Thank you to World of Boxing, Matchroom Boxing USA and DAZN — I hope to put [on] a great performance for everybody!

Added Bivol's manager Vadim Kornilov: “Bivol was supposed to fight Joe back in November. It's a very exciting fight. Both Dmitry and Joe have a lot of power. I guess this fight was meant to happen and we look forward to building a relationship with Eddie Hearn and DAZN."



Smith, who's most known for knocking Hopkins out of the ring during what turned out to be the legend's last pro fight, will be looking to hand Bivol his first loss.

“I am very excited for the opportunity to fight Bivol for the world championship,” Smith said. “Everything I’ve worked for in and out of the gym was to better myself and become a world champion. All the hard work and my determination will pay off come fight night.”

‘Mighty Mo’ Maurice Hooker will also be in action on the night when he defends his WBO super lightweight title against Mikkel Lespierre in the co-main event.

When is the Bivol vs. Smith fight?
Dmitry Bivol vs. Joe Smith Jr. will take place Saturday, March. 9. The undercard is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. ET. followed by the main card at 9 p.m.

Dmitry Bivol record and bio
Name: Dmitry Bivol
Nationality: Russian
Born: December 18, 1990
Height: 6-0
Total fights: 15
Record: 15-0 with 11 knockouts.

Joe Smith Jr. record and bio
Name: Joe Smith Jr.
Nationality: American
Born: September 20, 1989
Height: 6-0
Total fights: 26
Record: 24-2 with 20 knockouts.

Bivol vs. Smith fight card
Dmitry Bivol vs. Joe Smith Jr. for Bivol's WBA world light heavyweight title
Maurice Hooker vs. Mikkel Lespierre for Hooker's WBO world super lightweight title
Callum Johnson vs. Seanie Monaghan; Light heavyweight

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