Fresh from his dominant title defence in Abu Dhabi on Saturday night, Dmitry Bivol has set sights on becoming undisputed champion.
The undefeated Russian, 31, outclassed Gilberto "Zurdo" Ramirez at Etihad Arena, headlining the inaugural “Champion Series” event in the capital by retaining his WBA light-heavyweight crown by unanimous decision.
Bivol, whose slick footwork and expert counterpunching rendered redundant the previously unbeaten Ramirez, took the contest 118-110, 117-111, 117-111. The win, the 10th defence of the WBA title, lifted Bivol’s professional record to 21-0, while Ramirez now sits at 44-1.
With Ramirez dispatched emphatically, Bivol is expected to next either rematch Saul “Canelo” Alvarez – he defeated the Mexican superstar in May – or face WBC, WBO and IBF champion Artur Beterbiev for a shot at becoming the unrivalled lead boxer at 175 lbs.
"I proved myself, I can be the best guy in the world," Bivol said afterwards. “I have a goal; I want to be undisputed champion. But it doesn't all depend on me. If it all depends on me, I fight for all four belts.
“I hope they are listening to me, to what I want. I'm like a kid who has a dream; I want to go with this dream."
Asked if he was concerned about facing Beterbiev, since the Russia has knocked out all 18 opponents and thus has an aura, as the reporter put it, of a “monster”, Bivol responded: “You remember what people said about Canelo? We are all people, not monsters. Someone can be stronger, someone can be faster, but we’re all people.”
On why he was confident he could become the first to take down Beterbiev, the WBA champion said: “Because I believe in my skills. I could beat him, why not? And I could lose, why not?
“It depends on my preparation, depends on my mentality. I could lose to Ramirez, too, but I try to do everything right in my camp and try to believe in myself and try to be focused on the fight.
“I have good defence, good combinations, good boxing skills. Why couldn’t I beat him. Of course I could.”
In May, Bivol defeated Alvarez by unanimous decision to keep hold of the WBA belt that has been in his possession since November 2017. It represented the second loss in the 62-fight pro career of Alvarez, the undisputed super-middleweight champion, who was back then considered the sport’s pound-for-pound No 1.
Alvarez, currently recovering from hand surgery following September's victory against Gennady Golovkin - his anticipated to return to action is next May - is understood to want the rematch, but at 168 lbs instead.
Promoter Eddie Hearn, sitting alongside Bivol at the post-fight press conference, suggested first the fight taking place at super-middleweight and then an encounter for undisputed against Beterbiev afterwards, to which Bivol replied jokingly: “Wow, wow. Sounds good.”
He added: “When I was amateur, I was fighting first of all against my weight, 75 kilos [165 lbs], and second against my opponent. And I decided I didn’t want to make weight, but in the pros I work with some nutritionists and I learned how to make weight easily.
“Before this weigh-on [on Friday] I had dinner, I had a small breakfast, and then I came to the scales and showed my weight. We could talk about [Canelo at 168lbs], of course, I told [Hearn] before. It’s not my preference, but we could.”
Hearn said: “It’s pretty obvious: Dmitry Bivol’s about legacy, about belts. And he wants to become undisputed. That is his absolute main focus. Obviously from my side, we want to make the biggest fights possible. And the Canelo Alvarez rematch is a very big fight. But the priority for Dmitry is to be undisputed.
“However, if Beterbiev fights [No 1-ranked WBO light-heavyweight contender Anthony] Yarde in January-February and then goes into Ramadan, then he probably wouldn’t be ready to fight Dmitry until June-July, or whatever. So we have to look as a team.”
Meanwhile, Saturday’s event marked the first in the recently announced, multi-year agreement between the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi and Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing.
Bivol, competing for the first time in the capital, had been based in the emirate for five-and-a-half weeks in the lead-up to Ramirez.
“I am so, so happy that I made a fight in Abu Dhabi and the first big fight here,” he said. “I love boxing and I hope that the main sport in Abu Dhabi can be boxing.
“I showed my skills tonight and I’m hoping they will make more boxing events here with Eddie, who I feel is the best boxing promoter in the world.”
RESULTS
6.30pm Handicap (TB) US$65,000 (Dirt) 1,400m
Winner Golden Goal, Pat Dobbs (jockey), Doug Watson (trainer)
7.05pm Dubai Racing Club Classic Listed Handicap (TB) $88,000 (Turf) 2,410m
Winner: Walton Street, William Buick, Charlie Appleby.
7.40pm Dubai Stakes Group 3 (TB) $130,000 (D) 1,200m
Winner Switzerland, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar
8.15pm Singspiel Stakes Group 3 (TB) $163,000 (T) 1,800m
Winner Lord Giltters, Adrie de Vries, David O’Meara
8.50pm Al Maktoum Challenge Round-1 (TB) $228,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner Military Law, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi.
9.25pm Al Fahidi Fort Group 2 (TB) $163,000 (T) 1,400m
Winner Land Of Legends, Frankie Dettori, Saeed bin Suroor
10pm Dubai Dash Listed Handicap (TB) $88,000 (T) 1,000m
Winner Equilateral, Frankie Dettori, Charles Hills.
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
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%3Cp%3ECreated%20by%3A%20Darren%20Star%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EStarring%3A%20Lily%20Collins%2C%20Philippine%20Leroy-Beaulieu%2C%20Ashley%20Park%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ERating%3A%202.75%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
The%20end%20of%20Summer
%3Cp%3EAuthor%3A%20Salha%20Al%20Busaidy%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EPages%3A%20316%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EPublisher%3A%20The%20Dreamwork%20Collective%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs
Engine: 2.9-litre, V6 twin-turbo
Transmission: seven-speed PDK dual clutch automatic
Power: 375bhp
Torque: 520Nm
Price: Dh332,800
On sale: now
Two products to make at home
Toilet cleaner
1 cup baking soda
1 cup castile soap
10-20 drops of lemon essential oil (or another oil of your choice)
Method:
1. Mix the baking soda and castile soap until you get a nice consistency.
2. Add the essential oil to the mix.
Air Freshener
100ml water
5 drops of the essential oil of your choice (note: lavender is a nice one for this)
Method:
1. Add water and oil to spray bottle to store.
2. Shake well before use.
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
The years Ramadan fell in May
More on Quran memorisation:
Women's Prize for Fiction shortlist
The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker
My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite
Milkman by Anna Burns
Ordinary People by Diana Evans
An American Marriage by Tayari Jones
Circe by Madeline Miller
Three trading apps to try
Sharad Nair recommends three investment apps for UAE residents:
- For beginners or people who want to start investing with limited capital, Mr Nair suggests eToro. “The low fees and low minimum balance requirements make the platform more accessible,” he says. “The user interface is straightforward to understand and operate, while its social element may help ease beginners into the idea of investing money by looking to a virtual community.”
- If you’re an experienced investor, and have $10,000 or more to invest, consider Saxo Bank. “Saxo Bank offers a more comprehensive trading platform with advanced features and insight for more experienced users. It offers a more personalised approach to opening and operating an account on their platform,” he says.
- Finally, StashAway could work for those who want a hands-off approach to their investing. “It removes one of the biggest challenges for novice traders: picking the securities in their portfolio,” Mr Nair says. “A goal-based approach or view towards investing can help motivate residents who may usually shy away from investment platforms.”
Profile of Whizkey
Date founded: 04 November 2017
Founders: Abdulaziz AlBlooshi and Harsh Hirani
Based: Dubai, UAE
Number of employees: 10
Sector: AI, software
Cashflow: Dh2.5 Million
Funding stage: Series A
The BIO:
He became the first Emirati to climb Mount Everest in 2011, from the south section in Nepal
He ascended Mount Everest the next year from the more treacherous north Tibetan side
By 2015, he had completed the Explorers Grand Slam
Last year, he conquered K2, the world’s second-highest mountain located on the Pakistan-Chinese border
He carries dried camel meat, dried dates and a wheat mixture for the final summit push
His new goal is to climb 14 peaks that are more than 8,000 metres above sea level
UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FIXTURES
All kick-off times 10.45pm UAE ( 4 GMT) unless stated
Tuesday
Sevilla v Maribor
Spartak Moscow v Liverpool
Manchester City v Shakhtar Donetsk
Napoli v Feyenoord
Besiktas v RB Leipzig
Monaco v Porto
Apoel Nicosia v Tottenham Hotspur
Borussia Dortmund v Real Madrid
Wednesday
Basel v Benfica
CSKA Moscow Manchester United
Paris Saint-Germain v Bayern Munich
Anderlecht v Celtic
Qarabag v Roma (8pm)
Atletico Madrid v Chelsea
Juventus v Olympiakos
Sporting Lisbon v Barcelona
Story%20behind%20the%20UAE%20flag
%3Cp%3EThe%20UAE%20flag%20was%20first%20unveiled%20on%20December%202%2C%201971%2C%20the%20day%20the%20UAE%20was%20formed.%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EIt%20was%20designed%20by%20Abdullah%20Mohammed%20Al%20Maainah%2C%2019%2C%20an%20Emirati%20from%20Abu%20Dhabi.%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EMr%20Al%20Maainah%20said%20in%20an%20interview%20with%20%3Cem%3EThe%20National%3C%2Fem%3E%20in%202011%20he%20chose%20the%20colours%20for%20local%20reasons.%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EThe%20black%20represents%20the%20oil%20riches%20that%20transformed%20the%20UAE%2C%20green%20stands%20for%20fertility%20and%20the%20red%20and%20white%20colours%20were%20drawn%20from%20those%20found%20in%20existing%20emirate%20flags.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
