WBA light heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol is closely following the developments surrounding a potential super middleweight clash between Canelo Alvarez and Jermall Charlo. With Alvarez signing a three-fight deal with Premier Boxing Champions, talks of a matchup between him and Charlo have gained traction. This scenario would see Charlo moving up to the 168-pound division.

Bivol, who was previously in talks for a rematch with Alvarez in the fall, now finds himself on the outside looking in. However, he remains undeterred and expressed his openness to facing Charlo if he emerges victorious against the Mexican. The Russian champion even stated that he would be willing to drop weight from 175 to 168 pounds for the opportunity. While Bivol prefers to fight in his own weight class, he emphasized his motivation to collect belts, regardless of the opponent.

Dmitry Bivol is open to facing Jermall Charlo at 168 pounds

In a recent interview with FightHubTV, the undefeated champion affirmed his interest in a potential showdown with Charlo. He stated that if the WBC middleweight champion beat Alvarez, he would be interested in facing him. He added that although he would like to compete in light heavyweight he would be willing to make the cut down to 168 pounds.

“Yeah, if Charlo wins, I would like that fight. It’s not like, ‘Oh, I want to fight against someone at 168′ no. I prefer to fight at my weight class.’ If someone wants and we have a good offer to move down for belt, I will do it. But I prefer to fight at my weight class.” he said.

Bivol also provided insight into his return to the ring, expressing a desire to fight in October. He indicated that September would be too early for him at this point. “I hope in September or October. If September, I should have been given an offer a couple of weeks ago,” he added.

Regardless of the opponent, Bivol affirmed his readiness to face anyone in his weight class. He is determined to be prepared for the top 10 fighters at light heavyweight. However, he does feel that Alvarez has garnered a habit of changing opponents last minute which has caused the rematch to never happen.

Bivol questions Canelo Alvarez’s negotiation tactics

Earlier in the interview, Bivol criticized Alvarez’s negotiation tactics and his demand for catchweight fights. He commented on the various rumors surrounding potential opponents for Saul, such as Oleksandr Usyk, Gennady Golovkin and Badou Jack. The Russian noted how Alvarez’s team seemingly promotes fights with one opponent before switching gears to another.

“To be honest, it’s interesting how they’re promoting fights, how his team is doing. I remember after my fight against him, there were a lot of rumors that he’s gonna fight Usyk, that he wants to fight Usyk. We said, ‘Whoa, against Usyk?’ Then he was fighting against ‘Triple G’. Now we were hearing that he was gonna fight, Badou Jack, it’s close, it’s gonna happen. And suddenly it’s Charlo. You know, it’s good promoting.” he said.

As the boxing world awaits Alvarez’s next move under his new multi-fight deal with Premier Boxing Champions, Bivol’s remarks serve as a reminder of the intricacies involved in securing marquee matchups.

Read More: “It’s Not Fair”: Dmitry Bivol Speaks Out on WBC Ban and Boxing’s Geopolitical Crisis

While the potential rematch between Bivol and Alvarez did not materialize, Bivol remains focused on defending his WBA title and demonstrating his skills against top contenders in the light heavyweight division.

What do you think about Bivol wanting to fight Jermall Charlo if he wins against Alvarez? Let us know in the comments.

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