Dmitry Bivol’s manager outlines three-fight plan.
Dmitry Bivol has been one of boxing’s best fighters for a long time, but it’s only in the past few years that he’s been officially recognised as such.
Though he had been a dominant light-heavyweight champion for several years, it was a 2022 campaign that saw Bivol defeat Mexican duo Canelo Álvarez and Gilberto Ramírez that really convinced the public of the Kyrgyzstan-born Russian’s quality.
In the time since, Bivol has made two more defences and engaged in a two-fight series with Artur Beterbiev for the undisputed championship. The first fight saw Bivol lose a very contested decision, while the second saw him emerge victorious and claim the titles.
Neither have fought since, but Bivol’s scheduled IBF mandatory title defence against Michael Eifert is strongly rumoured to be taking place on the Oleksandr Usyk vs. Rico Verhoeven undercard.
Bivol has been absent due to a long-standing back injury that required surgery, and he has been stripped of his WBC title in that time. This belt was given to David Benavidez, who defended it against Anthony Yarde before moving up to challenge the aforementioned Gilberto Ramírez for the unified cruiserweight championship.
Now Vadim Kornolov (Bivol’s manager) has revealed what his fighter’s next three fights will be, the first of which is his mandatory defence against Michael Eifert.
The second fight on that list is a trilogy with Artur Beterbiev, a fight fans have been wanting since their rematch over one year ago.
The third fight is the most interesting, with three separate options outlined by Kornilov. The first is a rematch with Canelo Álvarez, the second is a mouth-watering clash with David Benavidez, and the third is a showdown with a cruiserweight world champion.
This last option would imply Bivol’s intention to move up and become a champion in two divisions, something he has expressed a desire to do before. If that champion is Jai Opetaia, boxing fans are in for an absolute cracker indeed.
Either way, it appears Dmitry Bivol (24-1, 12 KOs) plans to get straight back on track following this May’s planned return, and that means an exponentially happier boxing world.
Per Bivol manager @VadimKTeam to me as it relates to what @bivol_d would like: IBF mandatory Michael Efert this spring (agreed to, ticketed for Usyk card May 23) then Beterbiev 3 & then either Canelo 2, Benavidez or a cruiserweight champion. No complaints from me. #boxing
— Dan Rafael (@DanRafael1) March 10, 2026
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