WBA light heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol is more interested in facing Artur Beterbiev in a high-stakes unification than moving forward with a rematch against Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez.
In May, Bivol pulled off an upset when he outpointed Canelo over twelve rounds to retain his title.
Bivol will now make a mandatory defense against undefeated contender Gilberto Ramirez on November 5 in Abu Dhabi.
Canelo will defend his undisputed super middleweight crown on September 17, in a trilogy fight with Gennadiy Golovkin.
The Mexican star has promised to defeat Golovkin and then face Bivol in May 2023.
But Bivol would rather go after Beterbiev, who holds the WBO, IBF and WBC titles.
“To be honest, I want to fight for the other belts. But if [Canelo] he wants to fight me again then we can negotiate about it and if all is well for me for the next fight then why not? But now I’m focused on Ramírez. He is a very good opponent for me and I have to beat him to create plans after the fight,” Bivol said.
According to Bivol’s manager, Vadim Kornilov, his fighter is not contractually bound by a rematch clause with Canelo, because both boxers went in different directions.
Canelo had the option to exercise an immediate rematch clause, but decided to go ahead with a planned fight with Golovkin.
“We’re not really stuck on the rematch clause anymore, this is the fight now. [against Ramirez] and the rematch is negotiated, both boys went and put up a fight. So we have to work together and figure out the next fight,” Kornilov said.
If the unification does happen, Bivol expects Beterbiev to be a tougher fight.
“It will be difficult, but not much more. Just a different kind of difficulty,” he said. “The fight against Canelo was difficult because nobody believed in me except my team. Beterbiev is not as popular as Canelo, so maybe it will be easier.” But about the boxing skills, about the sizes, I think it will be more difficult,” Bivol said.
