AKIPRESS.COM - Dmitry Bivol regarded Kyrgyzstan as home.

The Russian heavyweight champion won the fight against Canelo Alvarez in Las Vegas on May 8 by unanimous decision. 

"It’s a great country, it’s not a rich country but it has great people, nice people. It’s my motherland. I love Kyrgyzstan. I love the culture and it’s different to Russia," Bivol told The Guardian.

Before the fight, Bivol was asked about his opinion regarding the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

"Bivol conceded that war in Ukraine saddened him but he avoided criticising Putin by claiming that, as a sportsman, he was not qualified to comment on political issues," The Guardian reported.

Bivol was born in Kyrgyzstan and lived here 11 years.