Dmitry Bivol is one of the most solid world champions today and although he doesn’t appear as a favorite for his showdown against Saul Alvarez, his record says that he is an extremely tough opponent and has every chance of winning the fight. 

The 31-year-old fighter became interim champion in 2016 when he defeated Felix Valera by unanimous decision, made two defenses of the crown and then was elevated to champion of the pioneer organization. Since then, he has made eight more defenses, always leaving a great image and a clear dominance in the ring with respect to his rivals. 

While he hasn’t given a knockout since 2018, that doesn’t mean he doesn’t have power. In fact he can hurt his opponents a lot due to his tidy and precise boxing, and that’s just what he has done in his recent fights. 

Joe Smith Jr, Jean Pascal, Sullivan Barrera and Isaac Chilemba are some of the opponents who have succumbed to Bivol’s boxing. In his last three fights he has defeated Lenin Castillo (October 2019), Craig Richards (May 2021), and Umar Salamov (December 2021), all with excellent showings and ample ring dominance. 

Now he will face the world”s number one pound-for-pound fighter and hopes to impose his boxing as he has done recently. It will be a great challenge for the champion but his last fights speak for him.