Because Bivol (25-1, 12 KOs) has beaten Canelo Alvarez and Artur Beterbiev – the only two men who’ve defeated Smith – many will reason that the 36-year-old challenger has only a remote chance of beating The Ring, IBF, WBA and WBO light heavyweight champion. The Liverpudlian is sure, though, that he has what it takes to beat the brilliant Russian should they fight later this year.

During an appearance on talkSPORT Boxing, Smith (31-2, 22 KOs), the WBO interim champ, took the opportunity to remind those people that boxing math doesn’t always follow the usual order of operations.

“Look, he’s a very good fighter and he may beat fighters that I can’t beat, as he’s done, but styles make fights in boxing,” Smith said. “Just because A beat B and B beats C doesn’t mean A beats C, and I’ve got to just go in there, use my skills, use my attributes and make sure the best version of me turns up. And if that’s the case, then I’m always fully confident in beating anyone.”

Smith, The Ring’s No. 2 light heavyweight contender, and Bivol have been regularly linked to each other for years. At one point, Bivol even floated the idea of dropping down to 168 pounds to fight Smith, then WBA and The Ring champion, for his super middleweight titles.

Instead, if they do eventually fight, it will be Smith who gets the opportunity to become a two-weight world champion. Smith spoke of how their rivalry actually began over a decade ago.

“We boxed as amateurs, so I knew of him a long time, probably before a lot of the boxing community did,” he said. “I think people got to know him when he signed with Matchroom and then obviously went on to become world champion and beat Canelo and Beterbiev, but I boxed him, I think it was 2011 or 2012. I think he’d just won world junior gold, so I’ve always knew how good he was.

“We had a good fight and just, stylistically, I think I can beat him. But I know there’s going to be doubters out there because he’s beat the two people who’ve beat me. But I’ve just got to block that out and focus on myself.”