Dmitry Bivol has established himself as one of the best light heavyweight boxers in the world currently. With an outstanding resume of 23 victories and no losses, Bivol is the gold standard for boxers. Riding on the momentum of an impressive victory against Malik Zinad on June 1—which Bivol won by TKO in the sixth round, retaining his WBA light heavyweight title—the Russian boxer is looking to unify the light heavyweight division when he takes on Artur Beterbiev on October 12.

As he tries to conquer the division and is on the verge of creating history, the attention has been pulled to his background, which, we might add, is a like a melting pot of ethnic diversity. Did you know he used to train wearing ballet shoes when he was younger? Well, read on to find out more about the interesting life story of the 33-year-old Bivol.

Where is Dmitry Bivol from? Ethnicity and nationality

Born on December 18, 1990, in Tokmok, Kyrgyzstan, the boxer grew up in Tokmok. His father is of Moldovan-Russian descent, while his mother is of Koryo-saram descent (an ethnic group from Korea’s Hamgyŏng province that migrated to the Russia Far East in the 19th century and was later deported to Central Asia). The two met during the Soviet era as students and settled in Kyrgyzstan, before taking up farming us their profession—they used to grow onions and wheat on a piece of rented land with little Bivol helping them out every day. “My childhood was spent helping them in the fields,” the boxer had revealed once.

Apart from that, Bivol was a huge Jackie Chan fan when he was growing up, and had even taken up Wushu (a martial arts form). However, as he realized how much he hated kicking, his father, Yuriy Bivol, enrolled him in a boxing gym when he was just six-years-old. As equipment was hard to come by in the small town, with a population of just over 50,000 in the 1990s, Bivol was forced to practice with ballet shoes. Life in Tokmok was pretty hard for the family and it was a struggle to keep the family running. But Yuri always made sure that Bivol’s boxing training remained uninterrupted. These harsh conditions played a crucial part in shaping Bivol’s fitting style as he was used to remaining calm in the face of adversity.

Notably, a few years after the Soviet Union collapse (1990), they moved to Russia’s St. Petersburg when the boxer was 11, where the Bivol family still resides—Dmitry later moved to Southern California to train, though we’re not sure when.

Anyhow, since moving to Russia, Bivol’s parents were adamant about their son concentrating on studies. However, the young boy enrolled himself to a sports club without his folks knowing. Later, his father moved him to The Pioneers Palace, where he met trainer Nikolai Isaev, who helped him catapult into a junior-level boxing star. He became a European and two-time world cadet (under-17) champion, and also took the European schools title. Additionally, he also won the Russian national senior championships twice, shortly after turning 18.

After he turned pro in 2014, it took him just 18 months to clinch the WBA light-heavyweight title. His record at that point? A staggering 268 wins and just 15 losses, since he started competing at a junior-level. But through it all, he’s always kept one thing consistent: His humble and down-to-earth nature. “I am brought up that you cannot insult people, say things that you cannot follow through with, or say things you have no idea about,” one said in an interview.

Despite being born in Kyrgyzstan, Bivol identifies himself as a Russian and represents his second country on the world stage. Bivol’s rich background has always been a factor of intrigue amongst the fans, and his success has been a matter of pride in both the Russian and Korean communities.

Is Dmitry Bivol a Christian or Muslim?

The Bivol surname is Russian in his case, but it has roots that can be traced to Moldovan origins. Once again, this reflects the diverse and culture-rich family of the 33-year-old. Dmitry Bivol has not publicly spoken much about his religious beliefs and likes to talk about only boxing.

While the ‘Bivol’ surname is not specifically tied to Christianity, as per sources, most people with the surname are orthodox Christians. “Bivol” means “buffalo” in several languages like Romanian and Bulgarian, and these surnames usually originate from geographical conditions rather than any kind of religious affiliation. So the Bivol surname does not typically indicate any affliction towards Christianity or any other religion.

The California resident is ready to unify the light heavyweight division on October 12 and once again bring pride to his rich cultural heritage. Do you think Dmitri Bivol will defeat Artur Beterbiev to become the undisputed light heavyweight champion? And has his rich culture helped in his perspective of life? Let us know your thoughts down below.