Dmitry Bivol Arrives In Middle East For Latest Defense

WBA world light heavyweight champ Dmitry Bivol of Russia is ready to defend against his top challenger. And, on Wendesday, Bivol arrived at the location of his early November defense in the Middle East.

Bivol posted on social media that he has made his way to Abu Dhabi for the November 5th showdown with unbeaten Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez,

Arrived here #InAbuDhabi 👊🇦🇪@dctabudhabi @VisitAbuDhabi #BivolZurdo pic.twitter.com/HAYOWxthu7

— Dmitry Bivol (@bivol_d) September 28, 2022

Bivol (20-0, 11 KOs) is coming off a huge upset win over Mexican undisputed super middleweight champ Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas in May. In that bout he controlled the action, using his superior size and jab to keep Alvarez off balance and at distance.

Bivol he retained his WBA world title via a deserved unanimous decision to make it 20 wins from 20 fights.

As for Ramirez, he’s 44-0, 30 KOs and is the former WBO super middleweight world champion. Ramirez has won all five of his fights at light-heavyweight and all inside the distance in impressive fashion since moving up  in 2019.

The heavy-handed Mexican southpaw emerged as the mandatory challenger to long-reigning champion Bivol, after his fourth-round knockout of Dominic Boesel in their May 14 title eliminator in Ontario, California.

The WBA had previously ordered Bivol to fight Ramirez, as their mandatory challenger, in his next defense. Eddie Hearn and Matchroom had petitioned the organization to let Bivol fight England’s Joshua Buatsi, who is ranked in the top five by the WBA, instead. But, the WBA declined.

Bivol is also inline for a lucrative rematch with Alvarez after Canelo defeated Gennady Golovkin in a so-so title fight for their third meeting back on September 17th in Las Vegas.

It’s actually Alvarez’s rematch option for Bivol and the Mexican superstar also admitted that he’s been battling a left wrist injury prior to the Triple G bout that will require surgery.

So, for now Bivol is focused on Zurdo Ramirez and then, a potential undisputed fight with the unified WBC/IBF/WBO champ, and fellow Russian, Artur Beterbiev next year.