Umar Kremlev, the president of the International Boxing Association, has suggested an ambitious idea to organize a trilogy fight between Dmitry Bivol and Artur Beterbiev in Russia.
Kremlev, after mentioning his interest in what could be a controversial choice of location, has started discussions to bring the light-heavyweight boxers to Ekaterinburg.
In their recent rematch, Dmitry Bivol, with a record of 24 wins and 1 loss (12 KOs), defeated Artur Beterbiev, who has 21 wins and 1 loss (20 KOs), by an identical majority decision from the judges, avenging his previous loss.
This victory not only earned the 34-year-old Bivol the undisputed light-heavyweight title but also positioned him as a top-tier pound-for-pound fighter, possibly in the top three.
While a third fight with Beterbiev is being considered, Bivol also has a potential fight offer against David Benavidez, a former super-middleweight champion.
According to ESPN’s Julius Julianus, promoters Matchroom and PBC are nearing an agreement for a compelling fight with David Benavidez to happen this summer.
However, Kremlev is aiming to disrupt these plans and convince Bivol and Beterbiev to have their third match at the UGMK Arena, a new venue in Russia.
Although it seems he hasn’t directly spoken to either boxer yet, the IBA president has met with Evgeny Kuyvashev, the governor of the Sverdlovsk Region, to try and secure the arena for the event.
Since losing its Olympic recognition, the IBA, led by Russia, has expanded into professional boxing and also organized the Women’s World Boxing Championships in Niš, Serbia, this year.
Nevertheless, it appears that Kremlev still has significant work to do to make this fight in Russia a reality.
