Dmitry Bivol once again demonstrated his power in the ring after defending his status as World Boxing Association (WBA) light heavyweight world champion. The Russian won by technical knockout in six rounds against Malik Zinad, and this revived the chance of a rematch with Saul “Canelo” Alvarez.
Will there be a rematch between Bivol and Canelo Alvarez?
It should be noted that Bivol defeated the Mexican in May 2022, but after two years, the Russian is not thinking of giving the Mexican a rematch.
“I don’t have him (Canelo) on my agenda… my mind is elsewhere right now. I have another route. Maybe in the future, we can face each other again, but not in the short term,” he said in an interview with Fight Hub.
And after his victory at that time, Bivol revealed that he and Canelo tried to have another chapter of the rivalry, but it was not possible.
“I was free and I could choose different paths, I could go down to 168 pounds to fight him. We had the possibility of doing it for a couple of years, but his team and my team couldn’t come to an agreement, and I thought there was no problem, and I went ahead.”
What is preventing a rematch between Canelo and Bivol?
Questioned about the reasons for no longer considering a fight against Canelo, Bivol made it clear that he wants to respect his contract with Saudi Arabia, but added that for him it is not an obstacle to step into the ring at super middleweight.
“I can still give 168 pounds, but I have other plans, I have a contract with the Saudis and with Matchroom… now I see my future with the Saudis, and with the options I have in my contract with them, and it is not in the plans to go down to 168 pounds.”