Bivol Eyes Beterbiev Trilogy, Then Canelo Or Benavidez In Ambitious 2026 Plan

If Dmitry Bivol gets his way, 2026 is going to be a career‑defining year. The unified light heavyweight champion and his team have laid out an aggressive three‑fight roadmap: an IBF mandatory defense in the spring, a trilogy showdown with Artur Beterbiev, and then a blockbuster to close the year against either Canelo Alvarez or David Benavidez. Vadim Kornilov, Bivol’s manager, has been clear that the first order of business is a defense against German contender Michael Eifert on a card headlined by Oleksandr Usyk, after which they want to roll straight into Beterbiev III rather than take a tune‑up.

The Bivol‑Beterbiev rivalry has quietly become one of the sport’s most respected series, with two closely watched fights that still left fans debating who truly rules at 175 pounds. Kornilov has hinted that Bivol wants to “finish the chapter” with Beterbiev before entertaining the glamour options that follow. A successful trilogy would leave him as the clear top dog at light heavyweight and, more importantly for his team’s planning, in prime position to leverage all four belts on the negotiating table.

From there, the conversation shifts from legacy to superstardom. Bivol already owns a decisive win over Canelo from 2022, and a rematch remains one of the most valuable events in boxing, particularly with Saudi‑backed shows hovering over the schedule. At the same time, David Benavidez has moved up in weight and is being viewed as a potentially explosive opponent for the WBC strap, creating a scenario where Bivol could either revisit old business with Canelo or chase full divisional closure by taking on the “Mexican Monster.” Either way, if this plan holds together, Bivol’s 2026 could end up defining not just his career, but the entire light heavyweight era.

**Excerpt – Fighter Snapshot**
Dmitry Bivol (undisputed light heavyweight champion) is coming off a two‑fight series with Artur Beterbiev and has an IBF mandatory vs Michael Eifert penciled in for this spring; he currently holds all four major titles at 175 pounds and is targeting a Beterbiev trilogy followed by either a Canelo Alvarez rematch or a showdown with David Benavidez later in 2026.