Dmitry Bivol is eyeing a return in the first quarter of 2026 as he rehabs from surgery to repair a herniated disc in his back, his manager Vadim Kornilov told The Ring.

Bivol won The Ring’s light heavyweight championship in February in a rematch with Artur Beterbiev. He was in talks to fight Beterbiev a third time this fall in Russia but elected for surgery to repair his lower back.

The 34-year-old underwent surgery in August and is now in the midst of a compressive rehabilitation program to rebuild strength in his lumbar and ensure the injury doesn’t flare up again.

Half of that six-week program was conducted in St. Petersburg, Russia, where Bivol lives, and the rest is being completed in Dubai.

Bivol currently undergoes therapy for two hours a day. The injury, Kornilov said, was causing issues for his last few training camps. And it was progressively becoming worse and worse.

When Bivol was out of camp after fights, the muscles in his back became more relaxed but would soon begin to tighten up and inflame.

After the rehab program is over, Bivol will start easing his way into boxing training ahead of his planned comeback early next year. That will likely take place against an easier opponent considering the severity of the injury.