Canelo Alvarez

Canelo Alvarez vs. Gennady Golovkin III will take place on Saturday in Las Vegas, and Alvarez is going all out in workouts to make weight.

He posted video of him drenched in sweat following a recent session.

Canelo is not holding back in his workouts before facing GGG this week 😳

(via @Canelo) https://t.co/IVAWXgr2e8

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) September 14, 2022

Alvarez is putting his super middleweight titles on the line against Golovkin. The weight limit is 168 pounds.

The 32-year-old Alvarez is 57-2-2 for his career. He's coming off an unanimous decision loss to Dmitry Bivol for the WBA light heavyweight title.

The 40-year-old Golovkin is 42-1-1 lifetime. He's won four straight matches, including a ninth-round TKO of Ryota Murata in April.

Alvarez and Golovkin fought to a split-decision draw in Sept. 2017. The rematch went Alvarez's way in Sept. 2018 via majority decision.

Gennadiy Golovkin is, by well-earned reputation, a straightforward guy.

And he insists there is zero animosity in his relationship with Canelo Alvarez.

The two have fought twice—first to a split-decision draw in September 2017 and then, exactly one day shy of a full year later, to a majority decision in which Alvarez handed Golovkin his only defeat.

The second fight, by the way, was delayed six months after Alvarez failed drug tests.

Golovkin is not shy in suggesting he deserved to win both fights, and plenty of deeply embedded boxing people back him.

Yet, in spite of noticeable changes in the way the two men behave in each other’s company—warm handshakes replaced by cold stares—he sticks to the claim of zero enmity as they prepare to make it a trilogy September 17 in Las Vegas.

But now that he’s on the flip side of 40 years old, his nonverbals may be betraying him.

The longtime and still-reigning middleweight champion recently sat down with Bleacher Report for a video Zoom chat in which Alvarez’s name inevitably came up.

And when asked directly if things with Canelo had soured over the years since their seemingly cordial initial interactions, his face curled into a mischievous smile as he launched a subtle verbal haymaker in the Mexican’s direction.

“I don’t even know how to explain it,” he said.

“Maybe it’s just the side effects of certain substances in the body. But I treat it as a sporting event, nothing personal. But the words that he chooses to say are unexplainable. Inexplicable.”

Those words, incidentally, are about as subtle as a sledgehammer.

“He's a f--king a--hole," Alvarez told TMZ Sports this month. He continued:

"He's not honest. He pretends to be a good person and be different but he's not. He talks a lot of s--t about me. He'll say, ‘I respect him, his career.’ And, other part, he'll say, ‘He's an embarrassing boxer, he's embarrassing for Mexican boxing.’ ... I hate that motherf--ker because of that."

Welcome to a high-stakes “he said/he said,” sweet science style.

A third fight between the rivals had been an on-again/off-again proposition from the moment they exited the T-Mobile Arena ring after fight No. 2. Their names were intermittently in each other’s mouths even as Alvarez pursued and captured titles at 168 and 175 pounds and Golovkin stayed put at middleweight and regained two of three mainstream belts he’d lost in the 2018 rematch in Las Vegas.

It became a done deal this spring when it was announced that they’d meet again in September after interim fights in which Golovkin faced the WBA’s 160-pound claimant, Ryota Murata, and Alvarez again climbed to light heavyweight to face that division’s WBA champion, Dmitry Bivol.

Golovkin passed his test with a ninth-round TKO win in Japan, but Alvarez suffered his second defeat in 61 career fights when he dropped a wide decision to Bivol. He insisted in the days following the fight that a rematch with Bivol was a priority, but a confirmation came soon after that he’d face Golovkin to complete their trilogy in a bout in which Alvarez’s four titles at 168 pounds are on the line.

Had Bivol not won, Golovkin isn’t certain he’d have gotten his third try.

“Knowing certain details, I believe that this fight would take place regardless of the outcome of the Bivol-Canelo fight,” he said, the impish smile returning. “On the other hand, his loss in his last fight probably brought him back to reality. It probably taught him to treat boxing more seriously.

“At some point I stopped hoping that this fight was going to take place because there were certain obligations, contractual obligations, that were broken, there were some legal issues that came about, and then the pandemic began. So indeed, I stopped hoping at some point.

“But eventually this fight materialized, and I’m very happy that it is going to take place now.”

And now that it’s happening, it’ll provide another referendum on the Golovkin legacy.

The perpetually proud Kazakh insisted before the Murata fight that another go-round with Alvarez was not necessary for his career narrative—given his multi-belt pre- and post-Canelo title reigns and a prodigious KO streak that covered eight years and 23 opponents from 2008 to 2017.

Still, when compared with his pristine 42-0 slate against everyone else, the 0-1-1 record against Alvarez does leave a smudge that Golovkin will likely be anxious to wipe clean come September.

Whether he pointedly admits it or not.

“My answer to your question before the fight in Japan was an honest answer,” he said. “I back then did not believe it was important, and I still think that it is not going to affect my legacy in any negative way.

“It would be just an excellent addition to my achievements if I deliver to my opponent and I get what I deserve. On the other hand, I believe that I will not lose anything. It is not going to tarnish my legacy even if I fail to win this fight. I will still be happy. It will just be my legacy that will stay with me, just without this additional goal.”

As for how to accomplish the goal, Golovkin played it conveniently close to the vest.

He’s been intermittently impressive in blowouts over relative nobodies Steve Rolls (KO Rd. 4) and Kamil Szeremeta (TKO Rd. 7) and appeared intermittently vulnerable while working his way to victories over more recognizable top-10 commodities Sergiy Derevyanchenko (UD Rd. 12) and Murata (TKO Rd. 9).

The Szeremeta and Murata fights came at the beginning and end of a pandemic-prompted 16-month hiatus, the longest of his career and one that followed on the heels of a 14-month break between Derevyanchenko and Szeremeta.

Overall, he’ll have fought just four times and 32 rounds between Alvarez II and Alvarez III, roughly half the workload of his younger (by eight years) rival.

Nevertheless, the mere suggestion that the layoffs could be an issue raises Golovkin’s ire.

“I don’t think that I would need to demonstrate to somebody or prove anything to anybody,” he said.

“I believe I need to be myself and do my job, and I don’t feel the need to prove anything to anybody. He became a more active fighter because he became the focus of his promoter, who was able to bring him back and reshuffle his card deck. It will not affect me much.”

Meanwhile, Golovkin says, what also won’t affect him is the third Alvarez result.

He wouldn’t promise that a win, even an impressive one, would prompt a glorious ride into the sunset. Nor did he concede that a loss in the third bout would instantly trigger retirement talk.

He won the vacant IBF title at middleweight with the defeat of Derevyanchenko and added the WBA belt with the stoppage of Murata. Win, lose or draw in September, he’ll have the option of returning to 160 pounds—a weight he’s hit or fought under in 41 of 44 career bouts—to defend his claims or perhaps engage with the division’s WBO (Demetrius Andrade) and WBC (Jermall Charlo) champions.

So if you’re trying to gauge exactly when he’ll be finished, Golovkin isn’t showing his cards.

"It’s hard for me to say,” he said.

“I will continue until I stop feeling I can show the best of me, the best boxing at this top level. I will continue until my body tells me to stop. I also have the belts at 160, so the victory or the loss in this upcoming fight is not going to affect my decision about when to retire.

“It’s about being honest with myself, listening to my body, to my mind, and to feel when it tells you to stop. And then you stop.”

Gennady Golovkin said he's not planning to retire from boxing after his trilogy fight against Canelo Alvarez in September.

"GGG," who turned 40 in April, told TMZ Sports in an interview released Thursday he'd even consider a fourth matchup against Alvarez.

"Not yet. I'm not ready yet," Golovkin said when asked about retirement. "... The business side [of continuing to fight], it's very interesting."

The Kazakhstani superstar has embarked on a long, decorated career. He won a gold medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics and has compiled a 42-1-1 record as a professional, with the only loss and draw both coming against Alvarez.

A victory in their third meeting would level the head-to-head series at 1-1-1, which would likely lead to calls for a rubber match between the high-profile duo.

It's unlikely there would be nearly as much interest in a fourth bout if Alvarez wins again, but the Mexican superstar is coming off just his second career loss (57-2-2) against WBA super light heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol.

Golovkin addressed that defeat in an interview with Yahoo Sports' Kevin Iole on Tuesday.

"Canelo has shown he learns from his mistakes," he said. "He's not the kind of fighter who will make the same mistake twice. But at the same time, [the Alvarez-Bivol fight] needs to be analyzed."

Golovkin has won four straight fights, including an April knockout of Ryota Murata to win the WBA super middleweight title, since his loss to Alvarez in September 2018.

It sets the stage for what should be another highly competitive showdown that will be a chance for both fighters to make a major statement.

Canelo Alvarez will finish his trilogy against Gennady Golovkin before his rematch with Dmitry Bivol.

Alvarez confirmed he will honor his scheduled September fight against GGG during a press conference Monday. 

“We already had that contract, that deal, so we have to continue what we started," Alvarez said. "And I think they are the two most important fights in boxing–the fight with Golovkin and the rematch with Bivol because, unfortunately, we lost, but that doesn’t mean that I’m not going to try again.

“The important thing here is perseverance, and we are going to do it again. ... What is certain is that we will return in September, and these days—today, tomorrow, the day after—we are going to announce the fight, only we have to wait a little.”

The Alvarez-GGG fight was set up in advance of Canelo's upset loss to Bivol earlier this month. In the aftermath of that upset, there was some chatter that Alvarez would push back the GGG fight in favor of an immediate rematch against Bivol.

It appears that won't be the case.

Alvarez previously fought GGG to a draw in 2017 before defeating him via majority decision a year later. Both boxers had been building the hype for a rematch in the four years since, with GGG's fight against Ryota Murata and Alvarez's against Bivol seemingly being one final tune-up before they finished their trilogy.

Bivol had other ideas, using his size to work over the smaller Alvarez as they fought to the scorecards.

What is clear is that these are the two biggest remaining fights in boxing. However, if Canelo drops his bout against GGG in September, it's fair to wonder how much air it would take out of a Bivol rematch. 

Boxing legend and Golden Boy Promotions founder Oscar De La Hoya had some choice words for Matchroom Boxing's Eddie Hearn, who promoted Canelo Alvarez for his WBA light heavyweight title loss to Dmitry Bivol.

As Lance Pugmire of USA Today wrote, De La Hoya never mentioned Hearn by name, but it was clear who he was referring to.

The fact that the promoter of this event pushed Bivol on Canelo, it was the dumbest move in boxing history ... it’s not knowing boxing.

It was the stupidest move ... whoever allowed Canelo to fight Bivol. I would’ve never allowed Canelo to fight Bivol. Look exactly at what happened. Canelo’s on the top of the world. He’s the king. Why fight a guy that if Canelo fights 10 times, he loses 10 times? And he has nothing to gain. Nothing to win. Nobody knew Bivol." 

Bivol beat Alvarez via unanimous decision, with all three judges scoring the bout 115-113 in his favor.

The fight didn't appear to be as close as the judges' scorecards indicated, with numerous analysts claiming that Bivol did far better. Boxing Scene reported that "most at ringside had scored the bout either 118-110 or 117-111 for the champion."

Bivol had to win the last round just to avoid a draw.

These judges should be investigated & suspended. Even though they ultimately got it right this is exactly why no one trusts boxing judges & scorecards. Gross 🤢 https://t.co/2p0pvoSURO

— Omar Benson Miller (@OmarMiller) May 8, 2022

Dmitry Bivol retains his light heavyweight title with the major upset victory!! 115-113 on all three cards. What a scene in Las Vegas. Can’t believe judges had it that close. I had irt 118-110. #CaneloBivol

— Mike Coppinger (@MikeCoppinger) May 8, 2022

So, the three 115-113 cards in #CaneloBivol were not correct. It had to be at least a 116-112 fight, possibly 117-111. BUT at least the right guy won. Another upset in boxing this year. Great performance by Bivol.

— Al Bernstein (@AlBernstein) May 8, 2022

Bivol was excellent and deserved to win. At the same token, this was a very difficult task for Alvarez, albeit one he welcomed, per ESPN's Mike Coppinger.

"I feel like I can come out of this fight with my head held high because I gave the best of me in a different weight class," Alvarez said regarding his challenge for Bivol's WBA light heavyweight title. "I'm looking for challenges that take me out of my comfort zone."

Alvarez's home is in super middleweight, where he remains the unified champion.

Still, De La Hoya believes that Hearn didn't do any favors steering Alvarez toward the Bivol fight:

It’s (the promoter’s) job to guide a fighter’s career. It’s your job to know what’s the best move, to see what the biggest and best fight for his career is. This was a terrible fight for Canelo’s career. Styles make fights. Bivol’s a great fighter. And nobody knew who Bivol was before this fight. People were not even thinking of Bivol.

Bivol is now 20-0 with 11 knockouts and nine victories via unanimous decision. He's now eighth on ESPN's pound-for-pound rankings, 10th on Sports Illustrated's list and ninth on CBS Sports' ledger.

Regarding the fight itself, De La Hoya had some remarks on both fighters:

I’m sure it was a shocker to all the casual fans who don’t understand how and why Bivol beat Canelo. But Bivol was the bigger guy, he was the better guy, he had the better game plan and he beat Canelo hands-down. If you look carefully, Bivol fought a disciplined fight. His distance was perfection.

Every time Canelo wanted to throw a hard left hook to the body or to the head, Bivol either got closer or backed up to the perfect distance to deflate Canelo’s power. And Bivol’s jab was a thing of beauty. The one thing Bivol didn’t care about was the crowd. When Canelo was on the ropes trying to lure him in, Bivol was no dummy. He just stood away. He didn’t care what the fans thought. He just fought his own fight and won easily.

As for what's next, Alvarez said he plans to activate his rematch clause for another bout with the champ. Bivol told Behind the Gloves that he'd like a rematch at super middleweight for Alvarez's four belts in that division.

As for Hearn and Alvarez, the promoter told Alan Dawson of Business Insider before the fight that he didn't anticipate Matchroom Boxing's deal with Alvarez lasting after it expires later this year.

Former world heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson provided his take on why Canelo Alvarez fell to Dmitry Bivol in a WBA light heavyweight title bout on Saturday.

.@MikeTyson had a few notes for @Canelo after Saturday's loss 📝 #CaneloBivol pic.twitter.com/1xepjOB4AP

— ESPN Ringside (@ESPNRingside) May 9, 2022

In sum, Tyson said that Alvarez didn't use his jab effectively enough to win the bout, which ended with the undefeated Bivol (20-0) winning via unanimous decision.

Tyson said in part:

I just think if Canelo was using his jab effectively, hard, the guy wouldn't have been able to come in because the guy was coming in because he wasn't worried about Canelo's jab. So he got more aggressive, and he got brave. If you're not jabbing with him, he has no defense. If he's not gonna jab, a guy's gonna walk right in on him, like he did. Next fight, use your jab, different fight.

The loss was just the second of Alvarez's professional career (57-2-2). Floyd Mayweather Jr., the retired and undefeated boxing champion, gave Alvarez his other loss in Sept. 2013.

DraftKings Sportsbook had Alvarez as a heavy -525 favorite ($525 to win $100), but Bivol clearly won the fight per the CompuBox Punch Stats (h/t Boxing Scene).

Tyson's point about the jab rings true in the stats. Alvarez landed only 10 jabs throughout the night, while Bivol had 46. Alvarez was unable to land a jab in the final two rounds despite 28 attempts.

Overall, Bivol landed an average of 13 punches per round, while Alvarez had seven.

Per CompuBox Punch Stats, Alvarez's 84 landed punches overall was a career-low for him in a 12-round fight.

Tyson also knows something about losing a championship bout as a heavy favorite after losing to 40-1 underdog Buster Douglas in Feb. 1990. That ended an incredible 39-month run as heavyweight champion for Tyson, who started his career with a 37-0 record.

As for Alvarez, he has a rematch clause in his contract, and he said post-match that he plans to activate it.

Although he lost the WBVA light heavyweight title belt, Alvarez still remains the undisputed super middleweight champion.

After Canelo Alvarez moved up to light heavyweight to face off with Dmitry Bivol, the Russian star might be willing to return the favor.

Following his victory over Alvarez, Bivol threw out the idea in an interview with Behind The Gloves of moving down from 175 pounds to super middleweight and fighting for all four of Canelo's titles within the division.

Alvarez suffered only the second defeat of his career at T-Mobile Arena on Saturday and his first since falling to Floyd Mayweather Jr. in 2013. The outcome was something of a freebie, though, because he was fighting seven pounds heavier than his usual weight.

🗣 "I"m looking for challenges that others are too scared to take on!" - @Canelo 👑#CaneloBivol pic.twitter.com/UM9D4Tbrk5

— Matchroom Boxing (@MatchroomBoxing) May 9, 2022

Not surprisingly, Canelo indicated he wants to pursue a rematch.

"It doesn't end like this," he said.

Whether a rematch actually happens is another matter since Alvarez and Gennadiy Golovkin have tentatively set Sept. 17 as the date for a trilogy fight. Opposing Golovkin guarantees Canelo a massive payday while competing at 168 pounds again.

The 31-year-old might prefer instead to avenge his defeat to Bivol, and while Bivol's comments don't represent an ironclad guarantee, he seems open to a super middleweight limit.

Both boxers would have something to gain. Bivol could capture more gold and solidify his status as a pound-for-pound star. Alvarez, meanwhile, could get back into the win column and set up what would likely be a lucrative third encounter with the WBA light heavyweight champion.

Canelo Alvarez's ring resume isn't quite pristine.

He's been a professional boxer for more than half his life, with precisely two losses in 61 fights.

The first blemish came nearly nine years ago against imminent Hall of Famer Floyd Mayweather Jr. and is largely pardoned these days as simply too much, too soon for a 22-year-old kid.

And the second came Saturday night, when he was outboxed, outslugged, and comprehensively outworked by a big, talented, and determined light heavyweight in Dmitry Bivol.

It was jarring given the pound-for-pound ace's win percentage but just as easily excused given that a guy who'd debuted at 140 pounds was fighting one who'd never weighed in lighter than 173.

For a guy who values legacy, it was the price of greatness.

Or, in this case, of reaching for greatness.

Lest anyone forget, Alvarez had spent most of the past four years as a modern throwback to years past, when champions prioritized conquering new turf over simply protecting their own.

Already flush with middleweight jewelry, he defeated three titleholders at 168 pounds and another at 175—becoming Mexico's first undisputed champ and the sport's undisputed kingpin.

A win over Bivol, he said, would be the first step in yet another quest for undisputed status.

But the three 115-113 scores in his Russian foe's favor suggest something else.

It's time to finish old business before chasing anything else new.

Alvarez's two-fight series with Gennady Golovkin cemented his status as a pay-per-view star and kicked off the aforementioned stretch in which he conquered myriad champions across multiple weights.

Officially, he's 1-0-1 against Triple G, having won a majority decision and the boogeyman's middleweight title in 2018 after fighting him to a split draw a year earlier.

But more than a few folks disagree.

In fact, it's not hard to find fans and media members who'd score him down 0-2.

"At best, 1-1, perhaps 0-1-1. Very fortunate not to be 0-2," Randy Gordon, former editor of The Ring and current host of At The Fights on SiriusXM Radio, told Bleacher Report.

"I thought the draw belonged to GGG. I think that should have been a win for GGG.

"The win for Canelo in fight number two I could live with, but I can see how many thought GGG really won it, or should have pulled out a 114-114 draw, as Glenn Feldman had it."

Regardless of your lean, it's been every bit that close.

Five of six scorecards across two fights have been either 6-6 or 7-5—excluding Adelaide Byrd's laughable 10-2 in the opener—and neither man has been able to control the other for significant stretches.

They've boxed. They've brawled. They've been punished. They've been bloodied.

They've thrown more than 2,700 punches at one another and landed better than 800, with Alvarez holding a statistical advantage—albeit a slight one, 32.9 percent to 28.6—across 72 minutes.

It's the nip-and-tuck stuff that all-time rivalries are made of.

And the best news from Saturday night is that it's not done yet.

Or at least that it shouldn't be.

He wasn't about to admit it afterward, but Alvarez's loss to Bivol wasn't the product of bad judging or flawed timing. It was a bigger guy, with sound fundamentals, a good chin and zero jitters, employing a style that will bedevil him every time he sees it—be it in Las Vegas, Guadalajara or Moscow.

When Alvarez hit Caleb Plant, Billy Joe Saunders and Sergey Kovalev, they felt it.

But when he hit Bivol, Bivol hit him back twice.

A 152-84 margin in landed punches for the winner as a 5-to-1 underdog doesn't bode well for Alvarez with a Bivol who's more confident and even better prepared—meaning the rematch clause mentioned in Saturday's immediate aftermath is the last option promoter Eddie Hearn should suggest Sunday.

Especially considering a Golovkin trilogy was sketched out by the parties earlier this year.

And now that interim business is handled, they can enter the air reserved for the sport's most recognized pairs and guarantee they'll be prominently mentioned on each other's Hall of Fame plaques.

Heavyweights Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier laid much of the foundation for their respective legends over 41 rounds in the ring between 1971 and 1975, while welterweights Ray Leonard and Roberto Duran did the same across three fights of their own from 1980 to 1989.

The career arcs of Arturo Gatti and Micky Ward were defined, too, by their three apocalyptic fights across 13 months in 2002 and 2003, and Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez took it a step further, fighting four times across three weight divisions between 2004 and 2012.

In their aftermaths, it's impossible to think of one man without imagining the other.

And, when it comes to this one, what's a rivalry without some heat?

Golovkin is keenly aware of the standings with his high-profile nemesis and expressed frustration in a chat with Bleacher Report that his own prodigious accomplishments—holding a title every year since 2011, stopping 15 straight foes in title fights, etc.—were overshadowed by the first two bouts.

"I don't think that my rivalry with Canelo Alvarez is the only thing that characterizes my career," he said. "Just to point out a few things: I am the record-holder for the number of defenses—21 defenses. I have the biggest number of knockouts. And I think there are people who will remember me by that.

"There are people to whom it would matter more."

Matter a lot? Perhaps.

Matter more? No chance.

Though defeats of Kell Brook (TKO 5), Daniel Jacobs (UD 12) and David Lemieux (TKO 8) were menacing in spots and compelling throughout, none drew nor deserved the attention of the Alvarez fights.

And unless he delivers a clear victory in Act III, Golovkin gets the sort of forever second-place status that Frazier has with Ali after three fights and Tommy Hearns has with Ray Leonard after two.

Frazier and Hearns surely had spectacular moments, but their rivals' moments were both more frequent and memorable, giving them a permanent victory on the perception scorecard.

"It's a vital necessity for Triple G," former HBO blow-by-blow man Jim Lampley, who called several of both men's fights on the network, told Bleacher Report. "And since there won't be a fourth fight, the rivalry will end either as a standoff or as a triumph for Canelo."

It may be an unfair reality for a Hall-worthy competitor.

But when it comes to combat, if you're not first you're last.

Dmitry Bivol got a chance to make a name for himself with one fight, and he made the most of it.

The 31-year-old light heavyweight champion scored an upset win over Saul "Canelo" Alvarez (57-2-2, 39 KOs) on Saturday night, defeating the Mexican superstar by unanimous decision to retain his WBA world title at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

All three judges scored the bout 115-113.

The moment Dmitry Bivol won the biggest fight of his career 👏

Watch #CaneloBivol | Live on https://t.co/FoiaUucI53 worldwide, excl. Latin America & Mexico | DAZN PPV in US & Canada pic.twitter.com/JPEsWdYbTI

— DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) May 8, 2022

It was an cagey, high-level fight. The  speed and feints of Bivol (20-0, 11 KOs) gave Alvarez fits throughout the match, preventing the challenger from getting into a rhythm during any single round. Alvarez had his moments, especially with the uppercut, but he couldn't take control of the match like he has so many times over the past several years.

The Russian's clean, mistake-free performance was exemplary considering he came in as an underdog and allowed him to become only the second fighter after Floyd Mayweather Jr. in 2013 to defeat Alvarez.

Bivol's calling cards coming into the bout were his jab and his defense. As the CompuBox numbers show, he managed to neutralize Alvarez just like he has so many other contenders.

Bivol dominated, landing 36% of his power punches & needed to land just 4 jabs per round to tame Canelo, who landed in single digits in 10 of 12 rounds. Canelo's 84 landed punches are the fewest landed in a 12-round fight. Canelo landed 117 punches vs. Mayweayher. #CaneloBivol pic.twitter.com/wM5u5BVfPj

— CompuBox (@CompuBox) May 8, 2022

Despite being the champion, Bivol was clearly aware he wasn't expected to win the fight. He acknowledged ruining a potential superfight with his surprise victory.

Dmitry Bivol after beating Canelo Alvarez: "Eddie Hearn, sorry I broke your plans with Gennady Golovkin."

Canelo vs GGG III was agreed for Sept 17th before this result happened.

— Ring Magazine (@ringmagazine) May 8, 2022

Alvarez, fighting for just the second time as a light heavyweight, didn't make excuses for the loss. He confirmed he would like to go for a rematch.

Canelo Alvarez said he’ll exercise the rematch clause - “it doesn’t stay like this.” Dmitry Bivol said “no problem” but he wants to be treated like a champion next time around #CaneloBivol

— Mike Coppinger (@MikeCoppinger) May 8, 2022

If a rematch does come together, it's clear Alvarez will have to change some things to put together a winning strategy.

After a tentative first round that saw both boxers content to feel each other out, Alvarez applied more pressure in the second frame. He backed up Bivol and tagged him with a few good body punches and a slicing hook around the high guard, but the champion did well to limit the damage.

Bivol's length and size were a major point of discussion in the buildup to the fight, and he used did his best to make use of those advantages. He pumped the jab when he could, throwing quick lefts behind it that Alvarez had to eat.

The ring-position battle was huge in this bout, with both fighters getting some solid work in early on by trapping the other on the ropes. Alvarez did well to sneak in uppercuts, while Bivol relied heavily on his trademark jab.

The fifth round saw Bivol put together the best sustained attack of the match to that point. He pushed the fight to the ropes and unleashed a flurry of punches on Alvarez. Not every blow landed, but it was clear that Alvarez was being challenged in a way that he hasn't been over the past few years.

Bivol lands several punches and Canelo wants more 🍿

Watch #CaneloBivol | Live on https://t.co/FoiaUtUyQV worldwide, excl. Latin America & Mexico | DAZN PPV in US & Canada pic.twitter.com/U3p3u6vJmj

— DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) May 8, 2022

As Alvarez has moved up in weight over the years, he's made it more of a habit to walk down his opponents and break them down with body shots. That was clearly his intent against Bivol, but the Russian's vaunted defense made that a difficult task. Some of Alvarez's best attacks bounced off the guard, allowing Bivol to land his own counter shots.

Even in difficult fights, the latter rounds are where Alvarez has been able to separate himself and either earn a knockout or assert his dominance. Bivol managed to avoid that fate, preventing Alvarez from landing a fight-altering punch. He used Alvarez's own preferred tactics against him, pushing the fight to the corners and forcing him to play defense. Alvarez was able to get Bivol to miss quite a bit with his expert head movement, but he failed to get anything going on his end.

Canelo's corner knows he's taking too many shots 😯

Watch #CaneloBivol | Live on https://t.co/FoiaUtUyQV worldwide, excl. Latin America & Mexico | DAZN PPV in US & Canada pic.twitter.com/6DiHfv2HRf

— DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) May 8, 2022

It appeared fatigue became a factor in the final few rounds, as it became clear Alvarez needed to come up with something big to turn the fight around. He tried to create those opportunities but struggled to maintain pressure. Bivol's strength and defensive acumen allowed him to weather those charges. It was a brilliant, all-around performance.

Canelo is so confused. The bombs that usually knock his prior opponents out are not having the same effect on the bigger man - Bivol. 11th #CaneloBivol @DAZNBoxing
@MatchroomBoxing

— Rosie Perez (@rosieperezbklyn) May 8, 2022

While a rematch is tempting, Alvarez doesn't necessarily have to continue to push his limits at light heavyweight. He came into this bout as the undisputed super middleweight champion, thanks to his win over Caleb Plant last year. The 168-pound division is much closer to his natural weight. 

As for Bivol, it's now readily apparent to anyone unfamiliar with him why he's an undefeated world champion. He's calm under pressure, has a brilliant jab that works as a set-up punch or its own brand of offense, and his defense is world-class. Any opponent will have a tough time against his blend of skills.

If you're a combat sports fan and you have $134.98 in extra dollars to spend, you have one job this weekend. You must batten down the hatches. Batten them down, shelter in place and take in one of the best combat sports weekends in recent memory, as it involves six fighters holding a whopping seven active championship belts between them.

First, you have the greatest boxer in the world in Saul "Canelo" Alvarez. He's a -475 favorite (bet $475 to win $100) to handle Dmitry Bivol and win the WBA light heavyweight title, per DraftKings. (Canelo's four belts are not at stake.)

In the other corner, you have UFC 274, with not one but two title fights. In the co-main event, the ever-compelling Rose Namajunas puts her strawweight title on the line against Carla Esparza, the UFC's inaugural champion in that weight class. In the main event, the great Charles Oliveira faces yet another stiff test in the personage of Justin Gaethje, one of the most devastating strikers on the UFC roster, non-heavyweight division. (Editor's note: this was written before Oliveira's failed weigh-in and the subsequent stripping of his lightweight title. Visit here for all the details on the weigh-in and its implications for UFC 274 and beyond.)

From a fan's perspective, this is a clash of the titans—boxing's biggest star versus one of the best UFC pay-per-view cards the promotion can make. Millions of pay-per-view buys are on the line. (And the prices are steep, with UFC 274 going for $74.99 on ESPN+ and the Canelo main card running $59.99 on streaming service DAZN). There will be no losers among us couch-sitters. 

Let us now take a look at these three monster fights and why they're important on an individual level, much less collectively.

         

UFC 274: The Main Event

Let's start with the UFC. All Gaethje did in his last engagement was wage a Fight of the Year candidate with Bellator's superstar transplant and fellow bomb-thrower Michael Chandler. Gaethje's uppercut is one of his flashier strikes, but 22 percent of his shots went to the legs. That's a high percentage for low kicks, which he fires off with little or no windup. He's right up there with Jose Aldo, Edson Barboza and legendary Vale Tudo wild man Pedro Rizzo among the best leg-kickers in MMA history. 

He also showed an iron chin in absorbing early haymakers from Chandler that would have had a normal fighter staring up at the lights. Gaethje perfectly walks an important line, adding a measured approach to his ultra-violent aggression. 

As for the champion, will this guy ever lose again? Oliveira's win in December over Dustin Poirier was his 10th in a row, a streak that dates to 2017. A rare underdog champion, many thought Oliveira would fall victim to Poirier's short-range power boxing. Poirier had the champ rocked more than once in the opening minutes, but Oliveira gave as good as he got, outlanding Poirier 73-58 in significant strikes—just the third time Poirier had been outstruck in his last 10 contests. 

But the incredibly well-rounded Oliveira still has a bread-and-butter attack. He used his elite jiu-jitsu to drag Poirier to the ground in the third and then after a few attempts got the tapout from backpack position, subbing Poirier with the standing rear-naked choke. The victory padded his UFC record with a 15th submission win under the company banner.

Here's the rub: Oliveira only hits takedowns at a 41 percent clip. Meanwhile, Gaethje's 73 percent takedown defense rate would be tops in the division if his nine UFC opponents hadn't been so reluctant to try that Gaethje hasn't reached the minimum career threshold (20 attempts) for eligibility. 

This is a close one, but I'm leaning toward Gaethje to keep it standing, fire the leg kick and break down Oliveira in the later rounds.

       

UFC 274: Co-Main Event

Namajunas and Esparza are set to wage a contest with plenty of history riding on it.

The first time these two fought in 2014, Esparza overwhelmed Namajunas with pace and pressure, hitting on five of seven takedown attempts en route to more than five minutes of control time and a third-round stoppage by rear-naked choke.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WsS-jeK9PDM

Namajunas, now 29 and a winner in six of her last seven, including two straight over ex-champ Zhang Weili, is even more evolved now. The champ is eager to even the ledger with the division's first champ, who is on an impressive five-fight win streak of her own after back-to-back losses in 2018 threatened her UFC roster spot.

"I'm carrying my loads of experience with me into the Octagon," Namajunas told Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated. "Knowing how that loss felt, and the mental stress it added on, it made me stronger. ... I want to punch her in the face, take her back, and choke her out. ... That last fight seems like forever ago. We've both improved a lot, and I know I am way better at what I do." 

Esparza's stock in trade is her world-class wrestling. In particular, she is a terror with her takedowns; her 42 successful conversions are tops in UFC strawweight history. She could neutralize Namajunas on the mat or against the chain link, clinging to the champ even when takedown attempts are unsuccessful. If she were to grind out a win, she'd be a two-time champ and a new front-runner for the best UFC women's strawweight ever.

Still, Thug Rose is favored for a reason. She's light on her feet and a creative and deceptively powerful striker from distance, with her kickboxing potentially serving to keep Esparza on the outside. She's been known to throw four-strike combinations and isn't afraid to mix it up inside.

Namajunas also has solid jiu-jitsu and can initiate scrambles, throw up a submission from the bottom or mount striking offense that could keep mat sequences interesting. She's also displayed improved defensive wrestling, stuffing six of 11 takedown attempts in the second bout with Weili.

In the same bout, Namajunas showed improved striking accuracy. She landed 51 percent of her significant strikes. (She landed 50 percent in their first fight, but that only lasted 78 seconds so we won't count it.) In her 2020 win over Jessica Andrade, her striking accuracy was 34 percent; in her 2019 loss to Andrade, it was 44 percent. In her 2018 defeat of Joanna Jędrzejczyk, it was 34 percent. It's not possible to do a perfect apples-to-apples comparison with these kinds of stats in MMA, but this provides a decent general idea. 

I said before that if Esparza wins, she'd have a claim as the strawweight GOAT. If Namajunas wins, there won't be much debate.

         

Canelo: Another One Bites the Dust?

And then, of course, there is Canelo, the Mexican redhead with more belts than a Men's Wearhouse.

News came this week that Canelo—now the undisputed super-middleweight champ by virtue of his WBA, WBC, WBO and IBF titles—turned down higher-profile bouts with Jermall Charlo and Errol Spence Jr., instead opting for Bivol, per Keith Idec of BoxingScene.com. All the more reason to be intrigued by this move up to 175 pounds. 

On paper, it's a weight class Alvarez has no business being in—and if you don't take my word for it, take the word of super-promoter Eddie Hearn. 

"Dmitry Bivol is ... a much bigger physical threat to Canelo Alvarez," Hearn told FightHype (h/t Boxing News 24). "The only way Canelo is going to get beat is to move out of his comfort zone as far as weight divisions. He's already doing that at 175. He shouldn't be fighting at light heavyweight. You know that. This is a guy that has fought at welterweight, 154, and 160 was even big for him at the time. Now 168 and 175." 

Alvarez also won titles at 154 pounds and 160 pounds, so he's proven in multiple weight classes.

Meanwhile, Bivol is the undefeated WBA champ at light heavyweight. But in the same interview, Hearn said Bivol "has never been in a tough fight. He's never been damaged in a fight."

On Saturday, he'll be introduced to both.

Bivol has good defense and sharp punches, and he's a smart fighter. But so is Alvarez. Canelo also has a distinct power advantage, with 39 of his 57 wins coming by stoppage. His movement, particularly his head movement, is hard to deal with and makes him hard to hit.

If Canelo wins Saturday, the plan is to move back down to 168 pounds for a trilogy bout with the legendarily power-handed Gennady Golovkin, perhaps in September. Even with GGG looking a little washy of late, this will be a blockbuster, and Alvarez won't want to do anything to destabilize that matchup. Ergo, he'll be motivated Saturday and wanting to prove his move to 175 pounds was a good one. Watch out, Bivol.

              

Statistics via UFC stats unless otherwise noted.

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