MOSCOW, November 7. /TASS/. Russia’s WBA (the World Boxing Association) Light Heavyweight Champion Dmitry Bivol plans to be back in the ring in May, his manager Vadim Kornilov told TASS on Monday.
Over the past weekend, Bivol defended his championship belt, defeating Mexico’s Gilberto Ramirez in a 12-round bout in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates. All three judges, who were present at the fight, favored Russia’s Bivol, with final scorecards of 118-110, 117-111 and 117-111.
"It is most probable that Dmitry will be back fighting in the ring in May," Kornilov stated. "This was not an easy year, he [Bivol] must recover now and gain strength. Possible fights against [Mexico’s Saul] Alvarez and [Canada’s Artur] Beterbiev will be a subject of negotiations."
Speaking after the bout, Bivol said in an interview with Russia’s Sports Express daily that he has never considered himself as the world’s best pound for pound boxer.
"I cannot say that today I am the top boxer in the world. It’s because I need more wins like over ‘Zurdo’ [Gilberto Ramirez] and Canelo [Saul Avarez]," Bivol said. "I need more belts. It was cool to beat a boxer with a 44-match win streak and I did it."
"He [Ramirez] is one of the best, but there are still more to come, who I can beat and then be able to say that ‘I’m the best, because I did this and that’," Bivol added.
The 31-year-old Russian boxer now holds an unblemished record with 21 wins, including 11 by KO, in his professional career.
Mexico’s Gilberto Ramirez, also known under the nickname ‘Zurdo,’ is 31 years old and now holds a record of 44 wins (30 wins by KOs) and one defeat.
The WBA announced a decision earlier in the year to exclude Russian boxers from all ratings lists and also barred them from title bouts. Russia’s Bivol was an exception. In line with WBA regulations, the Russian fighter appeared before the bout last weekend without the national flag of Russia, while the country’s national anthem was not played as well.
Russia’s sports ban from world tournaments
On February 28, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) issued recommendations to international sports federations to bar athletes from Russia and Belarus from taking part in international tournaments referring to a special military operation in Ukraine.
Following the IOC recommendations in late February, the majority of global sports federations decided to bar athletes from Russia and Belarus from all international sports tournaments.