Saul "Canelo" Alvarez will return to the ring on May 7 to face Dmitry Bivol for the World Boxing Association (WBA) Light Heavyweight Super Championship.
After winning the undisputed super-middleweight title against Caleb Plant in November, the Mexican will move up to the light-heavyweight class to take on undefeated Russian Dmitry Bivol, who is one of the most impressive fighters in the division.
Born in Kyrgyzstan and a Russian national, 175-pound Bivol is 31 years old. He has been WBA champion since 2016, first as an interim until 2017 when he was elevated to champion. Since then he has made eight defenses and has dominated the division in a big way.
The Mexican is living the best moment of his career and seeks to continue harvesting successes. Alvarez made history in November last year when he knocked out Caleb Plant in the 11th round to become the first undisputed world super-middleweight champion.
The 31-year-old added the IBF belt to his WBC, WBA, and WBO titles in a winner-takes-all showdown at the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas.
Canelo said: "I am very happy with this fight against Bivol. It is another great challenge for me and my career, especially as I go up in weight and face an exceptional light heavyweight champion like Bivol. I am also very excited that we have this fight slated for Cinco De Mayo Weekend for all the fans to enjoy. We will be ready like we always are."
Canelo has a record of 57 wins, 1 loss, 2 draws and 39 knockouts, while Bivol is undefeated in 19 fights, 11 of them won by stoppage.
( With inputs from ANI )
Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor