Dmitry Bivol is considering his next move after defeating Artur Beterbiev to achieve light heavyweight greatness.
The 34-year-old from Russia edged Beterbiev in their undisputed light heavyweight championship rematch on February 22, securing a majority decision victory over his rival in Riyadh to avenge the first defeat of his career which he suffered in their first encounter last October.
Although a third and final showdown between the light heavyweight superstars looks likely to happen, the newly-crowned champion could potentially go down a different route instead of settling his intense rivalry with Beterbiev which has been many years in the making.
Speaking at the post-fight press conference, Bivol was asked about the next steps in his career, as he claims he could even make the move up to cruiserweight if a world title opportunity presents itself.
“I don’t have any preference now to be honest, what people wanna see I gonna take, no problem. Maybe we could talk about cruiserweight, I will think about it also. Why not?
“I have belts here, I need to check cruiserweight, why not?”
Promoter Eddie Hearn was then asked to share his thoughts on Bivol’s potential move up to 200lbs.
“Yeah I mean you got Jai Opetaia, you got Badou Jack who was here tonight the WBC champion, many others as well. As I said earlier, Dmitry is the king so the king will take his time and make a decision.”
Bivol may also consider a rematch with Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez, who has two of four fights in his Riyadh Season deal already booked.
Beterbiev and Bivol are now expected to have an extended rest period before making a decision on their respective futures, however many fans and pundits have already called for a rubber match to happen before the end of 2025.
