Mexican superstar Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez may have an upcoming fight with John Ryder, but he firmly has his eyes set on WBA light heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol.

Bivol (21-0, 11 KOs) handed Canelo his second career loss with a dominant twelve round unanimous decision last May ... making himself the only boxer to beat Canelo outside Floyd Mayweather, whom the Mexican boxer fought at only age 23 back in 2013.

"Everybody knows I want that rematch with Bivol," Canelo said. "That's my goal this year. We'll see but that's my goal this year."

Now, just because Canelo is thinking ahead doesn't mean he's not taking Ryder (32-5, 18 KOs) seriously, nor is he considering it an "easy fight."

In fact, it's just the opposite ... Canelo hears everyone saying he'll run through Ryder, but that's not how he's thinking.

"They said the same thing about Bivol -- it was an 'easy fight' and you saw what happened, right," Canelo said. "Any fight is dangerous. You never know in boxing."

The Ryder fight is a special one for the sport's top pound-for-pound fighters, because it's happening in his backyard of Guadalajara ... and it's the first time he's boxed in Mexico in nearly 12 years.

"After all I've been doing in boxing, I think it's very special for me. This fight is very special for me to bring my people the same experience as me," Canelo said.

"I come to my hometown as the best fighter, not almost retired and everything. I'm coming from being the best and that's special for the people, too."