By Keith Idec

LAS VEGAS – Canelo Alvarez is the middleweight David Lemieux most wants to fight.

Alvarez represents the biggest financial opportunity for the hard-hitting contender from Montreal. Mexico’s Alvarez also owns the WBA, WBC middleweight titles after beating Gennady Golovkin by majority decision in their 12-round rematch Saturday night at T-Mobile Arena.

Lemieux still wants a rematch against Golovkin, too. The former IBF middleweight champion is confident a second shot at Golovkin would unfold differently than their first fight.

Golovkin dominated Lemieux in that 160-pound title unification fight in October 2015 at Madison Square Garden. Kazakhstan’s Golovkin dropped Lemieux in the fifth round and had won every round that was scored prior to stopping Lemieux in the eighth round.

The 29-year-old Lemieux feels he could win their rematch because he has improved, whereas the 36-year-old Golovkin isn’t as formidable as he was when they fought nearly three years ago.

Lemieux (40-4, 34 KOs) knocked out Ireland’s Gary “Spike” O’Sullivan in the first round on the Alvarez-Golovkin undercard Saturday night. Golovkin (38-1-1, 34 KOs) went the distance for the third time in his past four fights and lost to Alvarez on two of the three scorecards (113-115, 113-115, 114-114).

“Golovkin’s not the same as when I fought him back in the days and I’m not the same as I was three years back,” Lemieux said. “So things have changed and I think my chances in the near future are very positive, compared to what they were in the past.”

A first fight against Alvarez (50-1-2, 34 KOs) seems more likely for Lemieux in the near future. They’re both promoted by Oscar De La Hoya’s company and Lemieux became the WBA’s mandatory challenger for Alvarez’s WBA 160-pound championship by knocking out O’Sullivan (28-3, 20 KOs).

“[Do] I think a fight with Canelo is realistic?,” Lemieux said. “Of course I do. I think a fight with Canelo is very realistic and a fight with Golovkin is also realistic. I’m interested in both fighters. I’m interested in the best fighters at the division and I believe I can beat them.”

Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.