The fight with Canelo Alvarez in 2022 put Dmitry Bivol on the map. Not to mention, Bivol bagged the biggest paycheck of his career for his showdown with the ‘face of boxing’. To top it off, the WBA light-heavyweight champion, putting a rare loss on the Mexican icon’s boxing record, catapulted him into a level of fame he could have never imagined before the Alvarez bout. After all, he became the second person to defeat Canelo Alvarez after Floyd Mayweather. Now, fans can’t wait to see him action against Artur Beterbiev on October 12 for the undisputed light-heavyweight clash.

But did the new-found fame and fortune change Bivol as a person? A year after his victory over Canelo Alvarez, the Russian boxer separated from his now ex-wife Ekaterina after sixteen years of union. Although Ekaterina claimed in an earlier interview with a Russian media organization that they parted ways amicably, there still seems to be some unresolved bitterness. In a recent Tiktok video, Bivol’s ex-wife revealed that he became the “devil” after the Canelo fight. She further hinted that the “money” he received after the Canelo fight got to his head.

“When we were in the process of divorce, I told my ex, you know what you became such a devil after Canelo. So, maybe you won in the ring but in the life, you lose, you lost, because this money, this power it made you crazy,” Ekaterina said vengefully. Furthermore, she stated that she and Canelo Alvarez were the real winners, as he is the real loser in “life” even though he might have won it in the professional sphere.

“So please write to Canelo, we are the winners with him.,” she stated in conclusion. The couple are parents of two children- Miron and Nikon. Nevertheless, you might be wondering — what were the other underlying reasons behind their divorce after sixteen years of being together?

Did she feel a sense of abandonment?

In an earlier interview with a Russian outlet, Bivol’s ex-wife revealed that she had been to a psychologist a few months before the breakup, as she felt “everything was bad”. Then she divulged that she hadn’t seen him for “ten months” before the eventual breakup, and found it difficult to deal with periods of loneliness in her life when Bivol used to travel all over the world pursuing his dreams of becoming a boxer. Although Ekaterina felt sad at times after the breakup, she has somehow found the strength to pull through the ordeal.

“I’m not sad without Dima. What should I get used to? I have always been alone for at least six months, and over the past year we have not seen each other for 10 months. I am very used to loneliness. I feel sad at times, but I thought it would be worse. Turns out I’m much stronger than I thought. Surprised by myself,” Insidesport quoted her as saying.

However, Ekaterina couldn’t point to any specific reasons as to why they separated. “I myself do not understand how it all happened. There was no real reason to end the relationship. It seems to me that in a year I won’t even remember, because the occasion was insignificant. It’s just some kind of nonsense,” she said.

Nevertheless, she doesn’t feel any “regret” getting into a relationship with Bivol and eventually marrying him. Reportedly, the former couple met in an airplane when Bivol hadn’t become a world champion yet.

Meanwhile, the Russian boxing superstar has remained tight-lipped about his divorce. Notably, Bivol is a private person and prefers to keep his personal life away from the limelight as much as possible. But, after the latest comments from his ex-wife, he might have to come out in public and clear the air.