Dmitry Bivol Win Makes Him #1 P4P

“When I beat Bivol, I’m going to be the number one pound-for-pound fighter in the world,” Benavidez said. Ariel Helwani.

“He’ll definitely have to come see me after this fight (Michael Eifert). All those belts are going with David Benavidez.”

The $20 million roadblock

Benavidez believes his win over Zurdo forces the issue, but he looks at the financial gravity of the Bivol-Beterbiev rivalry. Bivol has already pocketed around $20 million over his last two fights with Artur Beterbiev.

For Bivol, the risk-reward ratio of fighting Benavidez makes no sense right now. A third fight with Beterbiev is a guaranteed atmospheric payday, likely another $10 million+ check.

If Bivol fights Benavidez and loses, the interest and the massive purse for a Beterbiev trilogy instantly evaporates.

Bivol already easily beat Zurdo Ramirez years ago. In Bivol’s mind, Benavidez just crossed a hurdle that Bivol jumped in 2022, but he didn’t break new ground.

A division in a holding pattern

Benavidez speaks as if Bivol is a target in a vacuum. In reality, the 35-year-old champion is managed by a strict calendar.

Bivol must face Michael Eifert on May 30 to retain his IBF belt. He is coming off major back surgery for a herniated disc. At 35, the bounce back time isn’t what it used to be.

By the time Benavidez could realistically get Bivol in the ring, likely 2027, he would be fighting a 36-year-old veteran with a surgically repaired back and the wear and tear of a Beterbiev trilogy.

Benavidez’s pressure and volume are elite, but his biggest weapon right now may be time. He aims for the real name, but the version of Bivol he ends up meeting will be a shell of the current undisputed king.

Hitting a name is one thing. Beating the first version of that name is another. Benavidez is betting his legacy on a timeline that Bivol, the sanctions bodies and the Saudi financiers have no interest in accelerating.