Would Bivol have fared better v Michael Spinks at 175 than he would have v Leon at cruiser? Could he have beaten either of them at those respective weight divisions?
He doesn't beat M.Spinks at Light Heavyweight who is too tricky/elusive, and just plain too good at that weightclass he's a H2H monster. I think L.Spinks would be a interesting fight. Leon with his non stop aggression could give Bivol some tough moments making him fight outside of his comfort zone, but i tend to think the extra class of Bivol would shine through in the end, and he'd edge out Leon in a competitive decision.
Leon at Cruiser is a massive unknown, as he was a coke addict for most of his career. Michael at LHW was mega. Bivol has got some very good wins on his resume now. Barrera, Pascal, Smith, Alvarez and Ramirez are all solid as ****. But Bivol still hasn't proven himself a LHW champion yet, Michael beat everyone in his division and beat some insane names to do it. If Bivol ever beats Beterbiev, or out lasts him I'd be more confident in his abilities.