Bivol beat Canelo in May 2022, taking a unanimous decision to keep his WBA light heavyweight title. It was only the second loss for Canelo since Floyd Mayweather beat him in 2013. While Canelo stayed on top at super-middleweight, Bivol lost his shot at becoming undisputed champion when Artur Beterbiev beat him in October.
Now, Bivol's got a chance to get back on track. He'll face Beterbiev again on February 22 in Saudi Arabia. If he wins, there's talk of a Canelo rematch. But Bivol's not thinking about that at all.
In an interview with Manouk Akopyan, Bivol made it clear where his focus is:
"I don't care. [It's] not exciting at all to be honest. I'm not thinking about it. I don't care when I will have a fight after February 22 [or] who will be my opponent. I'm not excited about anything. I'm just excited about February 22."
While Bivol prepares for his big fight, Canelo's got plans of his own. He's signed a four-fight deal with Riyadh Season. His next fight might be against William Scull or Terence Crawford in May.
If Bivol beats Beterbiev, his next fight is already set. But for now, he's laser-focused on February 22. Everything else will have to wait.