Dmitry Bivol is only embracing the present, and rightfully so considering a high-stakes rematch is on deck against undisputed light heavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev.
The future is looking bright and incredibly meaningful for Bivol as he looks to avenge the lone loss of his career. With a win, he can set himself up for a trilogy fight against Beterbiev and even pursue lucrative matchups against the likes of Canelo Alvarez, David Benavidez, or Jai Opetaia.
But for now, Bivol (23-1, 12 KOs) has tunnel vision and is focused on Beterbiev (21-0, 20 KOs) as they headline “The Last Crescendo,” Riyadh Season’s show in Saudi Arabia on Saturday.
“It's too much information – Beterbiev trilogy, Canelo, Benavidez, moving up to cruiserweight for Opetaia,” Bivol said with a hearty laugh in an interview with The Ring.
“It's not necessary to think about it right now, and it's not helping me to think about my next fight … Anything can happen. Maybe cruiserweight, why not? We have an amazing weight class [at light heavyweight] and cruiserweight is also nice right now … It's not exciting at all [about the potential of fighting Alvarez], to be honest. I'm just not thinking about it. I don't care who I fight or when I fight after February 22. I don't care. I'm just excited about February 22. I have business right now with Beterbiev. After this, if I have an offer, it doesn't matter who it is. I will think about it. We will see."
According to DraftKings, Beterbiev is listed as a -125 betting favorite and Bivol is a +100 underdog. Oddsmakers have Beterbiev listed at +220 to score a stoppage win. Bivol was able to handle Beterbiev’s power the first time out and became the only fighter to hear the final bell against Beterbiev.
“Of course, his punches are naturally harder,” said Bivol. “Other fighters put effort into making their punches hard. He doesn't put too much effort into hitting hard.”
Bivol faded late in the first fight and he said he needs to be faster, have more endurance, and throw more punches than Beterbiev in the rematch.
But he doesn’t believe he needs a knockout to win.
Manouk Akopyan is a lead writer for Ring Magazine. He can be reached on X and Instagram @ManoukAkopyan.