Dmitry Bivol insists he does NOT want Canelo Alvarez rematch next

Dmitry Bivol is targeting an undisputed showdown against Artur Beterbiev next should he defeat Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez on November 5, with his team insisting they are not tied into a rematch against Canelo Alvarez.

The unbeaten Russian (20-0) claimed a career-best scalp over pound-for-pound star Canelo in May as he cruised to a one-sided unanimous decision victory in Las Vegas.

There has been significant talk of a Canelo revenge mission to be held on Cinco de Mayo weekend next year, though the Mexican is currently focusing on a trilogy bout against long-term rival Gennady Golovkin in September.

The WBA champion wants to fight Artur Beterbiev (pictured) for all the light-heavyweight belts

Yet Bivol, speaking at a sparkling Hilton Hotel ahead of his Abu Dhabi showdown just down the road at the Etihad Arena in nine weeks’ time, insists he has other plans.

‘To be honest, I want to fight for the other belts,’ Bivol said of a Canelo rematch. ‘But if he wants to fight me again then we can negotiate it, and if everything is fine for me then why not?’

He continued: ‘To be undisputed is my main goal. When I was an amateur, it was to be Olympic champion. It helped me to train hard, to be focused, to be better.

‘If you have a big goal, it helps you. And in professional boxing, if you are undisputed, it means you are at the highest level. This is what I want.’

Bivol’s stock has risen dramatically since defeating Canelo to retain his WBA belt, having previously looked somewhat uninspired against lesser opponents, including Britain’s Craig Richards. 

The manner in which he dealt with the multi-weight champion has put him alongside some of boxing’s finest in the pound-for-pound conversation. 

An undisputed clash against WBC, WBO and IBF champion Beterbiev, who is also unbeaten at 18-0, now resembles a bout of global interest between the two fighters Bivol insists are at the top of the division.

The focus for Bivol is a mandatory defence against Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez (centre right)

Beterbiev is set to fight mandatory challenger Anthony Yarde (left) early next year after the Russian pulled out of their scheduled bout with injury

‘We have the belts, it means we are the best,’ he said. ‘I have been the champion for the last five years; I can’t say I am the best but of course one of the best.’

When the fight could actually take place remains to be seen, with Beterbiev’s mandatory defence against Britain’s Anthony Yarde pushed back most likely to early next year due to an injury suffered by the Russian.

For Bivol, a fight against Beterbiev – who he sparred extensively as an amateur – will be tougher than facing Canelo, though he acknowledges the Mexican’s popularity and prowess played its part in their bout, insisting it was difficult coming into the contest as such an overwhelming underdog.

The 31-year-old is keen to stress that the challenge now in front of him is his primary focus, however, having wanted to lock horns with the 44-0 southpaw, Ramirez, for a number of years.

Ramirez is on a strong run of five consecutive stoppage victories since moving to 175lbs

Bivol also stresses that the fight has now become personal, having remained silent throughout the negotiations, while Ramirez did anything but.

‘I wanted to fight him before,’ he said. ‘When he was super-middleweight, I told him I would like to fight against him and I can move down, but no one wanted to make the fight.

‘When he left Top Rank, I know he had a conversation with Eddie [Hearn] to work together and Eddie could have made a fight against me, but he chose Golden Boy.

‘Then he talked too much about a fight against me. I talked only to my team and not to the press because I know how it works. If there isn’t the money to make this fight, it wouldn’t be real. But now I’m glad everything is going like this.

‘It’s now little bit personal, because he talked too much. But we will see in the ring.’

Crucially for Bivol, he and his team insist they are not tied into a rematch with Canelo, and they will see where the land lies come November 6.