As arguably the most accomplished light-heavyweight of his generation, Dmitry Bivol will have no shortage of options if he defeats Callum Smith on December 12.
The pair are due to collide at the UMMC Arena in Russia, with Bivol securing a home advantage as he defends his IBF, WBO and WBA titles against the former world super-middleweight champion.
A successful return saw him unanimously outpoint mandatory challenger Michael Eifert in May, which followed his triumph over Artur Beterbiev around 15 months earlier.
Back then, Bivol edged a majority decision for the undisputed crown at 175lbs, just a few months after losing their first encounter by the exact same margins.
Having previously defeated Canelo Alvarez, too, the 35-year-old is considered a pound-for-pound star and one of the standout operators of this era.
Yet despite his deserved acclaim, former three-time world title challenger Anthony Yarde insists he would gladly step into the ring with the Russian.
The 35-year-old has not fought since last November, when he suffered a seventh-round stoppage defeat to David Benavidez.
Prior to that, Yarde had lost major title attempts against Beterbiev and Sergey Kovalev – both ending inside the distance – but has nonetheless told Sky Sports that he is keen to test himself against Bivol.
“A fight, for me, that I would have to make in my career would be [against] Bivol. I’ve fought all the best people, and he’s definitely one of the best people.
“I want to fight the best people in my generation.”
While the Benavidez fight was largely one-sided, Yarde did give strong accounts of himself against Beterbiev and Kovalev, though Bivol would surely pose an entirely different threat altogether.
