Canelo Alvarez says Dmitry Bivol is the only fighter who could pull him back down to 175 pounds. The former undisputed super middleweight champion revealed this week that a rematch with Bivol is still the one unfinished fight that interests him beyond the division where he has spent most of the past four years.
Canelo is preparing for his September 12 fight against Christian Mbilli in Riyadh after losing his super middleweight titles to Terence Crawford last year. Crawford moved up two divisions to beat him by unanimous decision before retiring months later, leaving the division in flux and opening the door for Mbilli to become the full WBC champion.
If Canelo defeats Mbilli, attention will likely turn to possible fights against Hamzah Sheeraz or Osleys Iglesias at 168. But the Mexican star has made it clear that there is one more score he would like to settle at light heavyweight.
“If I go to 175(lbs), it’s to fight Bivol. Or maybe he (can) come down (to 168lbs),” Canelo said in an interview with Mr. Verzace’s podcast on YouTube said.
The first fight between Canelo and Dmitry Bivol took place in 2022 and ended with Bivol winning a close 12-round decision. Canelo struggled with Bivol’s movement, jab and size advantage during the contest, and hasn’t returned to 175 pounds since.
A rematch is far from guaranteed, as Bivol still has big business ahead of him at light heavyweight. He returns on Saturday against mandatory challenger Michael Eifert after more than a year out of the ring.
Bivol is also being pursued by David Benavidez for a possible undisputed fight at 175 pounds. That bout became one of the biggest targets in the division, especially after Benavidez captured the WBC title.
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Last updated on 2026/05/25 at 10:21
