Undisputed lithe heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol could pursue a rematch with Canelo Alvarez or a fight with David Benavidez once he finishes his current duties in the division.

Bivol’s manager, Vadim Kornilov, outlined the champion’s preferred path in comments provided by Dan Rafael, explaining that Bivol intends to first pursue a mandatory IBF defense and then return to competing with Artur Beterbiev.

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Last update: 2026/03/10 at 16:34

A fresh twist has been revealed in the story of Jai Opetai and the IBF cruiserweight title.

Last week it was reported that Opetaia was to be stripped of his IBF belt after the opening bell of his planned fight with Brandon Glanton on Sunday at the Meta Apex in Las Vegas, due to the fact that the fight was also for Zuffa’s inaugural belt.

Nevertheless, Opetaia continued his fight and declared a unanimous decision victory over Glanton extend their undefeated record to 30-0.

After the fight, Opetaia once again shared his desire to become undisputed in the cruiserweight division, and it appears he has been given the opportunity to do just that as – announced the IBF in a statement that they have not yet made a final decision to strip him of the title.

“Jai Opetaia made comments during the post-fight press conference that led the organization’s leadership to question whether his advisors fully and fully made him aware of the decisions he had to make in deciding to fight Brandon Glanton. The organization intends to take a closer look at this matter.”

The statement also included a mighty response to claims that they had decided not to sanction the fight due to feelings of “disrespect” in the run-up to the fight.

“The IBF categorically denies any suggestion or claim that it deliberately withdrew sanctions to cause harm. The IBF sanctioned the Opetaia vs. Glanton fight in good faith, expecting what was assured to happen.”

“The press conference held on March 8 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada, made it clear that the inaugural Zuffa World Cruiserweight Championship would be held on March 8.

“The IBF, as previously stated on March 6, reserves the right to sanction title fights along with other sanctioning bodies that adhere to the same regulations that the IBF follows, and reserves the right to sanction title fights along with other fights that prepare the IBF cruiserweight title remains a subject of discussion.”

The final outcome as to whether Opetaia will indeed retain her title will be revealed in due course.

“It’s analyzing how the system works on this side of the wall, in the States, and then it will make its own move,” Nelson told iFL TV. “He only wants one belt.”

Turki Alalshikh has already become one of boxing’s most influential financial sponsors thanks to his involvement in major events. The chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority has helped finance several high-profile fights by working with promoters across the sport.

Nelson believes this approach could ultimately influence how the championship is organized.

For decades, boxing titles were distributed among several sanctioning bodies, with each group recognizing its own champion in the same weight class. The result is multiple belts in one category and constant debate about who is actually at the top.

Nelson indicated that Turki’s long-term interest may include simplifying this structure.

“He’s just sorting out all his ducks,” Nelson said. “He understands how everyone works.”

Turki has already shown a willingness to work with various promoters and networks in supporting major fight cards in Saudi Arabia. His involvement has helped unite fighters and promoters who often operate in separate business paths.

These partnerships included collaborations with competing promoters and broadcasters that had historically operated separately. The Saudi-backed substantial cards also attracted fighters from several promotional groups to the same event.

Nelson sees the current period as preparation for a bigger game.

Another question is whether a single-lane system could ever be implemented. The four main sanctioning bodies would continue to exist and their titles would continue to be recognized unless broadcasters chose to ignore them.

This kind of change would likely require networks like DAZN to focus exclusively on events built around the Ring Belt. For now, such a scenario seems arduous to imagine.

Turki has already become one of the main financial figures of sport. Turki has the resources to influence boxing, but turning a four-belt sport into a one-belt system would be a completely different fight.