Canelo Alvarez rematch could push back Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol

The highly anticipated match between Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol for the undisputed light heavyweight championship might have to wait until Canelo Alvarez gets a rematch against Bivol, says promoter Eddie Hearn.

Hearn has stated that he’s open to the possibility of Beterbiev vs. Bivol and called it “the best fight” for knowledgeable boxing fans. However, he stated in a recent interview on The MMA Hour that Bivol is more likely to face Canelo Alvarez first:

“For me, just to make it clear, Bivol vs. Beterbiev is one of my favorite fights of all time, not just about boxing now… And that is a tremendous fight. One that I back our guy [Bivol] to win. As good as Beterbiev is. For me, there is an opportunity for Bivol to fight Canelo Alvarez at 168 pounds for the undisputed championship, and after that… win or lose… fight Beterbiev for the undisputed at 175[lbs]."

The British promoter has repeatedly stated that Dmitry Bivol is “about legacy” and wants to take fights that win him the most belts in the best manner possible.

Meanwhile, Beterbiev has been ordered by the WBC to face Callum Smith next in a mandatory defense of his light heavyweight championship, so a fight in 2023 with Dmitry Bivol looks unlikely.

However, Hearn also spoke about “not waiting too long” to make Beterbiev vs. Bivol happen:

“But we mustn’t wait too long for these super-fights, you know we’ve seen it before and for me Bivol vs. Beterbiev might not have the casual reach of some fights… But to us and people in the fight game, it may be the best fight in boxing. So we have to try and make sure we make that happen."

Watch Hearn's full interview below:

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Artur Beterbiev stops Anthony Yarde in title defense

Artur Beterbiev defeated Anthony Yarde in Round 8 by way of TKO in their light heavyweight clash for the WBC, WBO and IBF belts.

Artur Beterbiev vs. Anthony Yarde

The Chechen-Canadian fighter improved his knockout streak to 19 in 19 fights last Saturday at London’s Wembley Arena. After the 38-year-old fighter scored a knockdown with a vicious right hand and didn't let up after the eight-count, Yarde's corner threw in the towel to save their man from further punishment.