Dmitry Bivol targets Canelo Alvarez or David Benavidez after Beterbiev trilogy

The mandatory defense is expected to come against Michael Eifert this spring. The bout has been planned for May 23 on a card headlined by unified heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk.

Once that obligation is completed, Bivol’s team wants to move directly into a third fight with Beterbiev. Their rivalry has produced two closely watched bouts, leaving unfinished business between the two fighters who dominated the light heavyweight division over the past several years and built one of the sport’s most respected rivalries.

The more intriguing possibilities come after that trilogy. Rafael reported that Bivol’s camp views a second fight with Canelo as one of the major options still available to the champion. Bivol defeated Alvarez by unanimous decision in 2022, handing the Mexican star one of the clearest losses of his career.

Another potential opponent mentioned is Benavidez, who has moved up to light heavyweight and has pushed for a chance at the division’s top fighters. A matchup between Bivol and Benavidez would place the unbeaten Mexican-American contender opposite the champion who currently holds the division’s four major titles.

Kornilov also suggested that Bivol could eventually test himself at cruiserweight, although that idea appears to be a longer-term possibility rather than the immediate plan for the unbeaten champion.

For now, the roadmap remains straightforward: satisfy the IBF mandatory against Eifert, complete the trilogy with Beterbiev, and then pursue one of the major fights that could define the final stretch of Bivol’s career.