Dmitry Bivol set to defend his WBA light-heavyweight title against Craig Richards in April
Craig Richards: "You don't get much bigger than Dmitry Bivol at my weight." The British light-heavyweight champion has revealed that he is set to receive a fight against Russia's WBA champion in Britain
By Richard Damerell
Last Updated: 19/02/21 12:04pm
Craig Richards says he can "break down" Dmitry Bivol after confirming that talks are "moving in the right direction" for a WBA light-heavyweight title fight in Britain.
The south Londoner has been selected as a potential challenger for Bivol, who is set to end a lengthy absence from the ring with a WBA title defence in April.
'Spider' Richards, ranked at No 8 by the WBA, welcomed the opportunity to test himself at the highest level after his explosive knockout win over Shakan Pitters in December.
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"There's been negotiations for this fight for the last few weeks, back and forth, Richards told Sky Sports.
"It seems like it's moving in the right direction.
"That's the fight I wanted. Exactly the time I wanted it."
Asked about a possible date and venue, he said: "I know it will be April, and I think it will be over here, as far as I've heard."
Bivol has earned a reputation as one of the world's finest fighters at 175lbs, having racked up a 17-fight unbeaten record, but he has been inactive since October 2019.
"You don't get much bigger than Dmitry Bivol at my weight," said Richards. "I think he's a good boxer. He's got a lot of things he does well. He's very seasoned. I can see there's flaws in him as well.
"This is the sort of fight where I will of course go through all my gears and show what I'm really about. I feel like stylistically, he'll bring the best out of me.
"It will be tougher than the domestic fighters I've been knocking out, but I believe I've got enough IQ, enough skill and enough punch power to gain his respect and break him down over the duration.
"He's a man, he's a human being, two arms, two legs, just like myself. I hit very hard, I've got a good boxing brain and I've got a good chin myself, and I believe I've got the tools to win."
