Dmitry Bivol Upsets Canelo Alvarez by Unanimous Decision to Retain Title

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Dmitry Bivol got a chance to make a name for himself with one fight, and he made the most of it.

The 31-year-old light heavyweight champion scored an upset win over Saul "Canelo" Alvarez (57-2-2, 39 KOs) on Saturday night, defeating the Mexican superstar by unanimous decision to retain his WBA world title at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

All three judges scored the bout 115-113.

It was an cagey, high-level fight. The  speed and feints of Bivol (20-0, 11 KOs) gave Alvarez fits throughout the match, preventing the challenger from getting into a rhythm during any single round. Alvarez had his moments, especially with the uppercut, but he couldn't take control of the match like he has so many times over the past several years.

The Russian's clean, mistake-free performance was exemplary considering he came in as an underdog and allowed him to become only the second fighter after Floyd Mayweather Jr. in 2013 to defeat Alvarez.

Bivol's calling cards coming into the bout were his jab and his defense. As the CompuBox numbers show, he managed to neutralize Alvarez just like he has so many other contenders.

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Despite being the champion, Bivol was clearly aware he wasn't expected to win the fight. He acknowledged ruining a potential superfight with his surprise victory.

Alvarez, fighting for just the second time as a light heavyweight, didn't make excuses for the loss. He confirmed he would like to go for a rematch.

If a rematch does come together, it's clear Alvarez will have to change some things to put together a winning strategy.

After a tentative first round that saw both boxers content to feel each other out, Alvarez applied more pressure in the second frame. He backed up Bivol and tagged him with a few good body punches and a slicing hook around the high guard, but the champion did well to limit the damage.

Bivol's length and size were a major point of discussion in the buildup to the fight, and he used did his best to make use of those advantages. He pumped the jab when he could, throwing quick lefts behind it that Alvarez had to eat.

The ring-position battle was huge in this bout, with both fighters getting some solid work in early on by trapping the other on the ropes. Alvarez did well to sneak in uppercuts, while Bivol relied heavily on his trademark jab.

The fifth round saw Bivol put together the best sustained attack of the match to that point. He pushed the fight to the ropes and unleashed a flurry of punches on Alvarez. Not every blow landed, but it was clear that Alvarez was being challenged in a way that he hasn't been over the past few years.

As Alvarez has moved up in weight over the years, he's made it more of a habit to walk down his opponents and break them down with body shots. That was clearly his intent against Bivol, but the Russian's vaunted defense made that a difficult task. Some of Alvarez's best attacks bounced off the guard, allowing Bivol to land his own counter shots.

Even in difficult fights, the latter rounds are where Alvarez has been able to separate himself and either earn a knockout or assert his dominance. Bivol managed to avoid that fate, preventing Alvarez from landing a fight-altering punch. He used Alvarez's own preferred tactics against him, pushing the fight to the corners and forcing him to play defense. Alvarez was able to get Bivol to miss quite a bit with his expert head movement, but he failed to get anything going on his end.

It appeared fatigue became a factor in the final few rounds, as it became clear Alvarez needed to come up with something big to turn the fight around. He tried to create those opportunities but struggled to maintain pressure. Bivol's strength and defensive acumen allowed him to weather those charges. It was a brilliant, all-around performance.

While a rematch is tempting, Alvarez doesn't necessarily have to continue to push his limits at light heavyweight. He came into this bout as the undisputed super middleweight champion, thanks to his win over Caleb Plant last year. The 168-pound division is much closer to his natural weight. 

As for Bivol, it's now readily apparent to anyone unfamiliar with him why he's an undefeated world champion. He's calm under pressure, has a brilliant jab that works as a set-up punch or its own brand of offense, and his defense is world-class. Any opponent will have a tough time against his blend of skills.