By Luke Furman

Marc Ramsay, the head trainer for WBO light heavyweight world champion Eleider Alvarez (24-0, 12 KOs), is already gearing up a plan for a rematch against Sergey Kovalev.

In of the biggest surprises of the year, Alvarez dropped Kovalev three times for a seventh round knockout on August 4th in Atlantic City.

Kovalev had the opportunity to exercise a rematch clause, which he intends to do.

Ramsay believes the rematch will take place in the first week of December, but industry sources expect the contest to take place in the early part of 2019.

"From what I know, from people I know in the boxing industry, I'm told [Kovalev] will take the rematch," says Ramsay to TVA Sports.

"He will be back here in early September and from there, we will immediately get in shape to make the first defense.

"Now that he has tasted a bit of Eleider Alvarez. He knows the level. Surely there will be an element of motivation on his part to be superior. It will be up to us to be even better... to raise it to another level to make sure that once again we'll win the fight."

Ramsay has another world champion under his clip, undefeated IBF champion Artur Beterbiev, who makes a mandatory defense against Callum Johnson on October 6 in Chicago.

"We have an opponent who wanted to face us. He is someone who has courage and whom I respect a lot. It's a boxer who gives himself 100% in the ring and is very focused on the offensive. We are likely to see fireworks in this fight," Ramsay said. "For Artur, it's a matter of opportunity. We will not decline a challenge."

The fight will be presented as a co-featured attraction to the clash between Jessie Vargas and Thomas Dulorme, which is being carried by the streaming service DAZN.

Luke Furman covers boxing for bokser.org