Joel Diaz Says Canelo Alvarez Should Rematch Dmitry Bivol

The trainer says the 2022 defeat to Dmitry Bivol still stands without a rematch

Joel Diaz says Canelo Alvarez should run back his loss to Dmitry Bivol, arguing it is the one defeat he never answered in the ring.

Canelo has stayed active and continued winning fights, but that loss remains in place, which is why Diaz brought up the rematch again in a recent interview.

“A fight that makes sense will be a rematch against Bivol,” Diaz said to Fight Hub TV. “People would love to see a rematch against Dmitry Bivol. That’s an interesting fight.”

When they fought in May 2022, Bivol used his size to dictate the fight over twelve rounds. He worked behind his jab, kept Canelo at distance, and built his lead one round at a time. Canelo landed clean power shots during the fight, but he was unable to slow Bivol or keep him in exchanges long enough to change the direction of the bout. The judges awarded Bivol a unanimous decision.

Canelo returned to the super middleweight division after that loss and remained active. He defended his titles and continued winning fights at 168 pounds, proving he still belonged at the top of the division. Even so, the Bivol result never changed because the two fighters never met again.

Canelo is now linked to a September return against unbeaten contender Christian Mbilli. Mbilli is younger and entering his prime, which makes him a legitimate opponent at super middleweight. A Mbilli fight keeps Canelo busy at 168. The Bivol result stays untouched.

Bivol, meanwhile, continues fighting at light heavyweight and is among the top fighters in that division. Until they meet again, the Bivol decision stands.

Canelo has spent more than a decade facing champions and winning titles across multiple weight classes. The Bivol loss remains one of the few defeats he never answered, and Diaz made clear that as long as that is the case, the possibility of a rematch will continue to follow him.