Canelo couldn't put down Ryder, someone he dominated. Unless he takes miracle growth or something, he's going to get flatlined by Bivol and probably knocked down for the first time in his career.
I would take a dive for $10M, if I were Bivol. He won't earn that much money even though he becomes the undisputed champion at light heavyweight.
The ginger knows he'll lose at super middleweight also, so he wants a beating at light heavy again - get the money, but keep the SM titles. So it isn't really in Bivol's court, as he already said he wants Canelo at 168 which is very smart.
Bivol had one if not the easiest 12 rounds fight of his career against Canelo. He only got bruised on the arm. He had a tougher fight against Joe Smith. What would be more interesting is Bivol taking more chances and going at super middle and win the belts from Canelo. I think he is a small framed 175. Making 168 on the weight scale and taking a few more pounds later for the fight is possible for him without affecting him negatively. After Ryder exposed the bad stamina of Canelo and the fact he is past his prime I think it is time for Bivol to send Canelo to retirement. I would pay these robbers $100 to watch the fight live if he does that. If they rematch at 175 I don't even want to pay $20 to see it.
Bivol better instruct his team to make sure they have a Eurasian brother inspect that ring both the night before the fight and the day of it because I've honestly seen bigger matchboxes than that ring. If that was two large HWs fighting in their last night and one of them had got knocked out cold their head and feet would've been hanging over the edge of each end of the ring.
If he were to stop loading up on all his punches and try to box, then maybe. But he's been doing that in every single fight. He's not used to anything else anymore.
Canelo hs as good a chance at beating Bivol as me beating Usain Bolt in a foot race. My only chance is if UB twists an ankle and breaks a toe or 2 at the start of the race. Even then it's a 50/50 prospect. LOL