Canelo, now 34, has been a force to reckon with in the super-middleweight division since 2018. He's the first undisputed champion in the 'four belt era' at 168 pounds and remains unbeaten at that weight. His impressive record includes wins over big names like Caleb Plant, Gennadiy Golovkin, Jermell Charlo, and most recently, Jaime Munguia.
But the loss to Bivol still stings. Canelo told The Ring Magazine:
"I hope I have the opportunity to have the rematch with Bivol, that's the only fight at 175 I would really take but we'll see. I want to tell myself 'Hey, you learned something from that fight', what things you don't need to do again. I have that thing in myself which says 'Hey, you need to show that you're a better fighter than him'."
Before Canelo can think about Bivol, he's got other business to handle. He'll face IBF champion William Scull in May 2025, aiming to recapture all the belts at super-middleweight. After that, a blockbuster contest with four-weight world champion Terence Crawford is on the cards for later in the year.
The Bivol rematch won't happen until 2026 at the earliest. By then, Bivol will likely have had a trilogy fight with Artur Beterbiev. Bivol became the undisputed light heavyweight champion when he beat Beterbiev in a rematch on February 22, 2025.
Canelo's determination to prove himself against Bivol shows the competitive fire that's made him one of boxing's biggest stars. The Guadalajara native has only two losses on his record – to Bivol and Floyd Mayweather Jr. He's clearly not content to let that Bivol defeat stand without trying to even the score.