Dmitry Bivol knows who he wants in the ring, but he is in no rush to lock down a contract. During an appearance on Inside the Ring, the champion singled out Artur Beterbiev, Canelo Alvarez, plus David Benavidez as his top targets. Still, he refused to pick one or name a date.
“This is Beterbiev, this is Canelo, and this is Benavidez,” Bivol said to Inside Ring Show. “This is three most big fights, I think, for me now.”
Bivol has the names ready. What is missing is any real urgency to get these bouts signed.
When asked about completing the Beterbiev trilogy by May, Bivol mentioned he would accept that timeline if all sides agreed. He pointed out that past talks hit roadblocks. That leaves fans with another vague target instead of a firm date. Waiting longer simply means Beterbiev gets older.
They split their previous two bouts. Unfinished business remains. Delaying the rubber match alters the physical test. While that does not prove Bivol wants to age his rival out, the advantage definitely leans his way.
Targeting Canelo makes pure financial sense. Bivol dominated their first clash, neutralizing the smaller boxer with ease. A return bout promises massive money against someone whose style he already mastered. Extra ring wear on Canelo only tilts the odds further in Bivol’s favor.
Benavidez offers a totally unique puzzle. Yet Bivol gave zero clues about when he wants that clash. He never clarified if he would jump to cruiserweight either.
Looking at other belts produced similar noncommittal answers. Bivol talked about how tough it feels jumping from 175 to 200 pounds, but skipped any mention of challenging Jai Opetaia.
His back surgery definitely plays a role in camp routines. He admits he must train smarter these days, which makes total sense. Even so, the core mystery lingers. Which major challenge does he actually want next?
Right now, Bivol is focusing entirely on Callum Smith. Past that date, his big plans stay strictly hypothetical. Something has changed with Bivol since his rematch with Beterbiev in February 2025. That twelfth round against Beterbiev took something out of him that a doctor cannot fix.
Bivol can talk all he wants about back rehabilitation and careful training camps, but the hesitation in his matchmaking tells the real story. When a fighter gets dragged into deep water, absorbs damage, and feels the fight slipping away beneath him with seconds left on the clock, it changes his wiring. Bivol survived that final barrage to collect the decision, but he walked away knowing exactly how violent that rivalry is. The appetite to jump straight back in with Beterbiev or any tough opponent has vanished.
Putting Canelo and Benavidez on a public wishlist is standard diversion. Canelo is a safe, massive payday against an opponent Bivol already solved without breaking a sweat. Benavidez is locked into cruiserweight campaigns, giving Bivol the perfect out to claim weight disparities prevent the bout. Meanwhile, Beterbiev is on the other side of forty, yet Bivol will not commit to a date to finish business.
Taking the Callum Smith fight while slow-walking the rubber match proves the point. Bivol went from an active technician hunting undisputed status to a cautious champion protecting his brand. When an elite boxer starts looking for reasons not to fight the very guys who tested his chin, the hunger is gone.
