Light heavyweight world titleholder Dmitry Bivol has quickly emerged as one of the best fighters in a loaded 175-pound weight class. A number of major fights loom in his near future, including a possible title unification fight with the best-known fighter in the division — fellow titleholder Sergey Kovalev.
But it may take some convincing for the Bivol camp to make that match.
“I want to fight the best guys in my division. Now, Kovalev is one of the best guys,” Bivol said. “Of course, I want to fight with him, but I prefer not to fight a guy from the same country as me [Russia]. Of course, if people like this fight, then I think it will happen. Kovalev wants to fight against the best, like me. It depends on the boxing fans. If they like it, it will happen.”
Boxing fans typically want to see the best against the best, especially when both fighters are as entertaining as Bivol and Kovalev. HBO certainly wants to put on the fight as well, and that’s one of the key reasons why Bivol and Kovalev are featured regularly on the same cards.
The Kovalev camp says it has been ready for the fight for a while.
“From our side, as soon as they are ready,” said Egis Klimas, Kovalev’s manager, about their interest in the bout. “We could have taken it the one before [their upcoming shared card].”
With the Bivol camp not quite there yet on a Kovalev fight, the two will once again appear on the same show on Saturday (HBO, 10 p.m. ET/PT) at the Mark G. Etess Arena at the newly opened Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
It will be the first major boxing event to take place in Atlantic City, formerly a boxing hotbed, since Kovalev’s dominant decision win to unify three light heavyweight belts against Bernard Hopkins at Boardwalk Hall in November 2014.
Bivol will open the telecast by making his third title defense against longtime contender Isaac Chilemba in the co-feature. Los Angeles-based Kovalev (32-2-1, 28 KOs), 35, is due to make the second defense of his second title reign against Eleider “Storm” Alvarez (23-0, 11 KOs), 34, a Colombia native fighting out of Montreal, in the main event.
It will mark the third time in his last four fights that Bivol will be appearing on a Kovalev undercard in the slow build toward their potential fight.
While others may focus on that possible showdown, Bivol (13-0, 11 KOs), 27, said he is focused on what’s in front of him. Chilemba (25-5-2, 10 KOs), 31, is a Malawi native fighting out of South Africa who got knocked down and lost a decision to Kovalev in 2016 in Russia — and also lost a disputed majority decision to Alvarez in 2015.
“I’ve seen his many fights. I’ve seen his fight against Kovalev, [Oleksandr] Gvozdyk, Eleider Alvarez,” Bivol said. “He fights through all fights, no problem, except Gvozdyk. But he has never been knocked out. He gives me a good experience. He is a good challenge for me. I will be ready.
“I respect Isaac Chilemba because he took many fights against the best fighters like Sergey Kovalev. He fought for three belts with Sergey Kovalev. I know he has good experience. He can move backward and he can move forward. He can fight all 12 rounds. Of course, he is serious opponent for me. But I believe in my victory because I have a good team and I have a good training camp. I win my belt and want to keep it long. I don’t want to give my belt to someone.”
Chilemba, who is trained by Roy Jones Jr., retired on his stool after eight rounds against Gvozdyk because of a hand injury.
Bivol scored his most impressive win in his last outing on March 3, as he knocked out contender Sullivan Barrera in the 12th round of a dominant performance. He aims to do the same with Chilemba, making it clear that he wants fans to enjoy his fights for a very simple reason — because he knows the more entertaining his fights are, the bigger the star he can become.
“I want a lot of people to see me fight. I want a lot of people to enjoy my fights,” said Bivol, who counts Sugar Ray Leonard as boxing idol. “Who my opponent is, doesn’t matter. This is what I want. I want to make history like Micky Ward and Arturo Gatti, in the type of fight that will never be forgotten from history. No one knows how to write history, but you have to try to do it. It wasn’t even a title fight, but it was a fight that will always be remembered.”
Bivol also said unifying world titles is one of his goals, which he could accomplish if he and Kovalev win on Saturday and then agree to meet.
“It’s very important for me. It’s every boxer’s dream to be the champion, the unified champion,” he said. “It’s a big step to dream about. Like [undisputed cruiserweight champion] Oleksandr Usyk last week, he went for his dream.”
With other light heavyweights holding titles, such as champion Adonis Stevenson, Kovalev and Artur Beterbiev, Bivol knows he will need to face at least one of those big names to stake his claim as the best in the division.
“I do not think that now I am the best light heavyweight but I am now one of the best,” he said. “One of four guys [with titles], but I hope in not far future, we will know who is the best.”
The quickest and most likely path to that goal is to fight Kovalev, despite his misgivings about fighting his countryman. He gets that.
“Most likely this fight is gonna happen since both Sergey and I are HBO boxers, and as long as that’s what the people want, most likely the fight will happen,” he said. “Me and Sergey will make sure to give this fight to the people. And as far as it goes for winning on [Saturday], of course I do believe in my victory.”