DMITRY BIVOL believes that if Canelo Alvarez wants a rematch with him, he needs to talk to Eddie Hearn, not the media.

The WBA delicate heavyweight champion arrived in London today for a press conference ahead of his October 12 undisputed fight with WBC, IBF and WBO world champion Artur Beterbiev.

More than two years ago, Bivol defended his belt in Las Vegas against Canelo, when the Mexican moved up from super middleweight — where he had become undisputed — to challenge the Russian. Bivol proved to be the better boxer on the night, however, defeating Canelo on points. The 34-year-old has made no secret of the fact that he would like a second chance to face Bivol and avenge his defeat.

This morning (September 25) I caught up with Bivol ahead of the press conference to ask him his thoughts on another fight with one of the biggest names in boxing.

“I just don’t think about it at all,” he said. “I have a training camp, I have the Beterbiev fight, and then we’ll see. Just talks, talks. If we have to have a fight, he doesn’t have to talk to the media, he has to talk to [promoter] “Eddie Hearn.”

Canelo still holds three world super middleweight titles and defended his belts 11 days ago by defeating Edgar Berlanga.

“It was a good fight,” Bivol said. “I didn’t see that [in] honestly, I was whole because I was in the camp, but I saw a couple of rounds. He was good. Berlanga was bigger, and his boxing kills are obviously better than Berlanga’s.”

Before the fight with Berlanga, there were questions about Canelo’s future and whether he was in a slump after such a long career. He presented this theory to Bivol.

“I don’t know. I have my way, he has his way. We could fight [when] I was available. We waited over a year [for] offer, but we didn’t get it. Never mind.”

LONDON, ENGLAND: While Artur Beterbiev sat about 10 metres away at the head table in London, Dmitry Bivol was typically respectful of the task ahead. On October 12, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, the pair will meet for featherlight heavyweight supremacy in a fight of true historical significance.

Although Beterbiev didn’t even try to suppress a yawn during several long introductions, there was obvious concentration on Bivol’s face, and when he spoke in English, a hint of nervousness. Neither of them was cut out to sit and talk behind a microphone.

He was asked what is more vital to Bivol: the belts or the chance to face Beterbiev?

“First I wanted an undisputed fight and I wanted to fight the best boxers in the featherlight heavyweight division,” Bivol said. “That’s my goal, to make a name for myself. He has those belts.”

The 39-year-old Beterbiev owns three of them, Bivol owns another. They have fought 43 professional fights together without a draw or defeat.

“I hope that the average fan around the world understands the importance of this fight,” Bivol’s promoter Eddie Hearn said earlier. “It’s a fight that will go down in history; it’s the best fight that can happen in boxing today.”

It’s tough to disagree with this.

This is the fight Bivol always wanted.

“That was my goal when I came into professional boxing, to be the best in the featherlight heavyweight division and this is the final fight where I can prove myself,” the 33-year-old said. “What does that mean to me? I’ve been in boxing since I was six years ancient. I’ve sacrificed so much in my life. This is the final step. Did I do everything right or not? I want everything to be right.”

This weekend belongs to women’s boxing, with three title fights spread across three cards taking place in Recent York, Georgia and Sheffield, England.

Sandy Ryan will make the first defense of her WBO welterweight title on Friday at The Theater at Madison Square Garden when she faces former junior lightweight champion Mikaela Mayer (ESPN/ESPN+, 10:30 p.m. ET).

Ryan (7-1-1, 3 KOs), of Derby, England, flies to the U.S. for the second time in a year to face Mayer. Ryan won the title with a unanimous decision victory over Marie-Pier Houle in April 2023. After her unification fight with WBC and WBA champion Alycia Baumgardner ended in a draw, she fought — and defeated — Terri Harper in a fourth-round technical knockout in March.

Mayer (19-2, 5 KOs) lost her WBO and IBF junior lightweight titles to Baumgardner via split decision in October 2022. Mayer then moved up a weight class and defeated Lucy Wildheart via unanimous decision to win the WBC interim lightweight title in April 2023. Mayer moved up a weight class again and in January lost a split decision to Natasha Jonas to fight for the IBF welterweight title.

Also on Friday, Baumgardner puts her WBC junior lightweight title on the line against Delfine Persoon at the Trilith Studios Town Stage in Fayetteville, Georgia. This will be Baumgardner’s first fight since testing positive for two banned substances during a voluntary drug test prior to her July 23 fight with Christina Linardatou (the decision was overturned).

Baumgardner (15-1, 7 KOs), of Woodland Hills, California, became the undisputed junior lightweight champion by defeating Elhem Mekhaled via unanimous decision on Feb. 4, 2023. She has defended her title only once, against Linardatou.

Persoon (49-3, 19 KOs) from West-Vlaanderen, Belgium is a two-time lightweight champion who lost her belt to Katie Taylor in an attempt to unify all four lightweight belts in June 2019.

On Saturday in Sheffield, England, Rhiannon Dixon will challenge for her WBO lightweight title against current WBA junior middleweight champion Terri Harper (DAZN, 2:00 p.m. ET).

Dixon (10-0, 1 KO), of Warrington, England, won the belt by defeating Karen Elizabeth Carabajal by unanimous decision in an all-action fight in April in which both fighters suffered cuts. This will be her first defense.

Harper (14-2-2, 6 KOs) from Doncaster, England drops three divisions in this fight. Harper last fought at lightweight in March 2022, winning a unanimous decision over Yamila Belen Abellaneda.

Where can I watch the Ryan-Mayer fight on ESPN/ESPN+ on Friday?

Ryan vs. Mayer will air at 10:30 p.m. ET on ESPN and ESPN+ and will feature a 10-round junior middleweight fight between Xander Zayas and Damian Sosa and a featherweight fight between Bruce “Shu Shu” Carrington and Sulaiman Segawa scheduled for 10 rounds.

Watch: Download the ESPN app | WatchESPN | TV

Don’t have ESPN? Find out how to get instant access today: ESPNInstantAccess.com

How to watch the fights?

The fights will be available to watch on mobile devices using the ESPN app.

The event will begin at 6:30 p.m. ET on ESPN+.

Watch the preliminary card live on ESPN+ in the ESPN app

Full Ryan vs. Mayer Card:

• Title fight: Sandy Ryan vs. Mikaela Mayer, 10 rounds, for Ryan’s WBO women’s welterweight title

• Xander Zayas vs. Damian Sosa, 10 rounds, junior middleweight

• Bruce “Shu Shu” Carrington vs. Sulaiman Segawa, 10 rounds, featherweight

• Elvis Rodriguez vs. Kendo Castaneda, 10 rounds, junior welterweight

• Rohan Polanco vs. Marcelino Lopez, 10 rounds, junior welterweight

• Vito Mielnicki Jr. vs. Khalil El Harraz, 10 rounds, junior middleweights

• Delante “Tiger” Johnson vs. Yomar Alamo, 8 rounds, junior welterweight

• Floyd Diaz vs. Mario Hernandez, 8 rounds, bantamweight

Where can I watch the Baumgardner vs. Persoon fight on Friday?

The Baumgardner vs. Persoon fight card will be broadcast on Brinx.TV.

Full Baumgardner vs. Persoon fight card:

• Title fight: Alycia Baumgardner vs. Delfine Persoon, 10 rounds, for Baumgardner’s WBC junior lightweight world title

• Rosalinda Rodriguez vs. Amy Naert, 8 rounds, women’s bantamweight

• Agustina Solange Vazquez vs. Sabrina Persona, 6 rounds, women’s strawweight

• Nicole Schaefer vs. Mariya Agapova, 6 rounds, junior lightweight

• Natalie Dove vs. Laddy Mejia, 4 rounds, women’s junior bantamweight

• Stephanie Simon vs. Claudia Zamora, 4 Rounds, Women’s Junior Welterweight

• Issabel Vasquez vs. Crystal Van Wyk, 4 rounds, women’s junior bantamweight

• Samantha Ginithan vs. Martyna Krol, 4 rounds, junior lightweight

• Yvonne Flores vs. Katharina Lehner, 4 rounds, women’s junior welterweight

Where can I watch the Dixon vs. Harper fight on Saturday?

Dixon vs. Harper will air at 2:00 PM ET on DAZN, with eliminations starting at 11:30 AM ET.

Full Dixon vs. Harper Card:

• Title fight: Rhiannon Dixon vs. Terri Harper, 10 rounds, for Dixon’s WBO women’s lightweight title

• Peter McGrail vs. Brad Foster, 10 rounds, junior featherweight

• George Liddard vs. George Davey, 8 rounds, middleweight

• Galal Yafai vs. TBA, 8 rounds, flyweight

• Jimmy Sains vs. Omir Rodriguez, 6 rounds, middleweight

• Giorgio Visioli vs. Diego Lagos, 6 rounds, junior lightweight

• Ibraheem Sulaimaan vs. Kevin Trana, 6 rounds, lightweight

• Brandon Scott vs. Calum Turnbull, 6 Rounds, Junior Featherweight

• Josh Babb vs. Kelvin Madjid, 6 rounds, bantamweight

• Connan Murray vs. Marco Simmonds, 6 rounds, junior middleweight

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