Dmitry Bivol: Fighter Of The Year, On Facing Canelo, Beterbiev And More

Dmitry Bivol set the boxing world alight when he beat Canelo Alvarez at light heavyweight.

The victory earned him the recognition of becoming the 2022 Fighter of the Year. A win against Zurdo Ramirez, the undefeated Mexican, soon followed, showing that the Canelo win was just the start.

While 2022 was significant, his plans for 2023 remain uncertain. One possibility is to rematch Alvarez at super middleweight for the Mexican’s undisputed titles.

Another potential fight is against Artur Beterbiev for the undisputed light heavyweight titles. Although talks for a summer bout have not yet materialized, Bivol remains determined to face him.

Dmitry Bivol vs Artur Beterbiev talks have failed and so Bivol has said he may now wait until September for his next fight (potentially the Canelo Alvarez rematch). Bivol's manager Vadim Kornilov said the money “wasn't serious enough” to make Bivol vs Beterbiev yet. [@DanRafael1]

— Michael Benson (@MichaelBensonn) April 17, 2023

Aside from that, a possible fight with Jaime Munguia has been mentioned, but Bivol admits that this matchup did not pique his interest.

Regardless of what Bivol does next, he has cemented himself near the top of the sport. And there is no getting away from that. 

Bivol’s Comments

In his comments on the ‘Fight Freaks Unite’ podcast, this is what Bivol had to say:

On the award: “It’s a big deal. I am so happy…It’s like a bonus [at] the end of the year for me. I am in the same place as the greatest fighters.

On fighting in 2023: “I thought I would get a fight in June or May but things changed…But I’m fine, I will get another fight maybe in September.

On fighting Canelo. “Of course I prefer 168…I want to fight for more belts and of course there is no more excuses for him.

On fighting Beterbiev: “To be honest I want to stay in my weight class and [fight] for the belts.”