By: Sean Crose
“I really have a big dream to win this belt and I don’t want to leave it,” WBA light heavyweight player Dmitry Bivol said ahead of his title defense against undefeated Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez. “I will fight for this and I want to keep it. I want more. I feel like I have something inside that I need to realize in order to be happy at the end of my career.” Bivol stunned a lot of people last spring when he beat the one and only Canelo Alvarez in the deciding match. Now, however, he has to face the 44-0 boxer, who was previously not only a world champion but also someone who – unlike Canelo – has only operated as a light heavyweight for a while. time.
“I’ve had it at three locations,” Bivol said of his training camp during his final pre-match press conference, which took place on Saturday at Abu Dhabi’s Etihad Stadium. “I had a great camp everywhere. The final destination is Abu Dhabi. I’ve been here since September 27order. I feel like I’ve got everything I need to work out. When I think about resting, I’ve got everything to rest here. When I meet people in the gym or the mall, everyone is really happy. Everyone was very welcoming to me and my team. People are welcoming every tourist here. It is good. “
Indeed, Bivol also took some time during the press conference to commend the host country for the match. “I’m looking forward to Saturday night,” he told the media. “I believe it will be an interesting fight. Abu Dhabi will do more boxing matches and maybe boxing will be the main sport in Abu Dhabi. I hope it will because it is my favorite sport in the world. I want to be everywhere and people know about this sport. Great. Thanks everyone.”
For those who believe he peaked when he beat Canelo last spring, Bivol has made it clear that he doesn’t like hearing such things. “When people tell me I’ve achieved everything, it’s like they pour water on the fire for me,” he said. “I try to think only about my dreams, to realize my full potential. I always try to stay hungry and angry and focus on my training and my opponents. I try to think of how this Saturday night will be the hardest battle of my career. It makes me more focused at night.”
