When Dmitry Bivol won the WBA Light Heavyweight Championship title, little did he know that he would one day be struggling to land opponents. Well, the fears did come true. In light of the Russian-Ukraine war, the WBC sanctioned all Russian fighters, including Bivol from entering the ring. Now, months later, when he plans to make a comeback, one pertinent issue persists.

His team is having a hard time getting him an opponent that aligns with his boxing stature and acumen. For a fighter like him, with an undefeated record of 21 massive fights, he’d expect the likes of Callum Smith, Artur Beterbiev, and even Canelo Alvarez.  But this elite list has inched away from his clutches. His team has however decided that they’ll have him in the ring by early 2024. But his opponent for that fight? Here’s an update from his manager, Vadim Kornilov.

A list of potential fighters for Dmitry Bivol

In a conversation with Fight Hub TV, both Bivol and his manager appeared to give a detailed update on his potential fight for early next year. This would be the first time, the Russian fighter would venture back in the ring since his unanimous decision win over Gilberto Ramirez in late 2022. In a detailed insight into who he could potentially face off against, Kornilov said, “You know, at first, we spent a lot of time trying to make it work with Munguia [Jaime Manguia], umm, you know that one, we just went back and forth. There were some issues with the weight. And trying to make it work and I understand for Munguia, just I mean, the only upside here for this fight is that they’re both in the zone. And you know Munguia is another Mexican.”

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However, the manager also added that the problem with the fight is, “it’s hard to make it because he’s still coming up from 168, you know we have to meet him either halfway or down to 168, which may not be the right thing, right now.” He further elucidated that his team is in talks with fighters like Radivoje Kalajdzic, Ronald Gavril, Ahmed Ali, and Lyndon Arthur. However, the only problem he sees with these opponents is that they don’t seem serious about the fight.

Bivol to return on January 13th

Bivol’s promoter, Eddie Hearn has come forward to announce the potential date for his big return. ‘Kid Diamond’ is slated to enter the ring on the 13th of January, 2024. Ace promoter, Hearn said, “[Bivol] looks to return in January, possibly January 13 in Las Vegas.” However, that’s not the only news that the promoter provided.

Hearn also announced that Bivol’s return to the ring will directly align with Callum Smith vs. Artur Beterbiev. The two will battle it out on 13th January at thVideotron Centre in Quebec City. Earlier, the boxing realm had keenly awaited a clash between the Russian fighter and Beterbiev. However, owing to the political upheaval that came with the Ukraine-Russia war, the fight fell through. Beterbiev went ahead to book a fight against Bivol’s yet another potential opponent, Callum Smith.

Hearn is also pushing for a fight between the winner of Bivol and his undecided opponent; and the winner of Beterbiev vs. Smith. For the latter, he truly believes Smith will take home the victory. He said, “I truly believe Callum Smith wins that fight by knockout.” He added, “So if we can do Callum Smith against Bivol for undisputed, even better. So, we’ll have to see.”

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The big Bivol return to the ring will usher much-awaited changes in the light heavyweight class. It will open up the possibility of multiple matchups that have been stuck in the pipeline for over two years now. Will Bivol get his missed chance to clash against Beterbiev, this time around? A question that we will closely follow. Stay tuned to receive time timely updates on this front.

Meanwhile, who do you think should go against Dmitry Bivol for his return? Let us know in the comments section below.

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