One of the biggest fights of the year will take place on Saturday, when WBC, IBF and WBO light heavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev will take on WBA champion Dmitry Bivol in a highly anticipated match-up to claim the undisputed championship. The match will take place at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Bivol and Beterbiev have dominated the 175-pound division for years, and a matchup between the two seemed inevitable, but things didn’t come together until the two sides finally reached an agreement to meet on June 1st. . The game was eventually postponed to Saturday. After Beterbiev was injured in training camp.
Beterbiev (20-0, 20 KOs) is the only current boxing champion with a 100% stoppage rate. That power suggests Beterbiev is a pure brawler, and his attacking style supports that assumption. However, Beterbiev was a talented technician and was successful as an amateur, winning the European and World Championships before turning professional.
In 2017, Beterbiev stopped Enrico Colling to win his first world championship as a professional, the IBF title. Interestingly, Beterbiev stopped Koling with just 27 seconds left in the 12th and final round, the closest he came to getting on the judges’ scorecards.
Beterbiev stopped Oleksandr Gvozdyk in a highly anticipated unification bout in 2019, adding the WBC title to his collection. After three fights, Beterbiev defeated Joe Smith Jr. in the second round to win the WBO title. He went on to defend his world title three times against Anthony Yarde and Callum Smith.
“I don’t know about that, but I think if (Aralsik) helped this fight happen, we know the guy. But I’ll never know if it would have happened without him.” Beterbiev said. “Every good boxer wants to have an opportunity like this. I’m really happy. I’ve been working towards this goal every day.”
Like Beterbiev, Bivol (23-0, 12 KOs) also transitioned to the professional ranks from a successful career as an amateur. His path to becoming WBA “Super” champion was quite complicated.
Bivol won the interim WBA title in 2016 by defeating Felix Barrera. He fought four times and defended the interim title twice, but was replaced at the end of 2017 as a “regular” after a series of events that saw Andre Ward retire as “super” champion and Badu Jack vacate the “regular” title. ” was promoted to champion.
Bivol defended the “regular” version of the title five times before finally being elevated to true world championship “super” champion status in 2019.
Bivol was already recognized as one of the best boxers in the world, but generational superstar Saul “Canelo” Alvarez moved up to light heavyweight to be Alvarez’s opponent as he aims to move up to 175. When he was selected, he finally gained exposure in the larger boxing world. He won the pound championship for the second time in his career.
Against Alvarez, Bivol put on a boxing masterclass, using effective defense and technique to score a huge upset and hand Alvarez his second loss of his professional career.
“Just as a soldier wants to be a general, so too does he want to be (the undisputed champion),” Bivol told TNT Sports this week during a “showdown” with Beterbiev. “This is the last step for every professional boxer. If you talk about trophies and belts, what more are you going to achieve in this weight class? Everything was for this purpose.”
With Bivol and Beterbiev cementing themselves as the best light heavyweights in the world, the will that had kept them from meeting has finally been broken, and they will meet in the upcoming David Morell vs. David Benavidez bout. An immediate “next man” of the winner is established. .
Elsewhere on the card, IBF cruiserweight champion Jay Opetaia returns to hang up the strap against Jack Massey. The 29-year-old Australian Opetaia looked amazing in her latest outing. He defeated veteran and former cruiserweight titleholder Mairis Briedis in May to win the vacant IBF title. Opetaia stopped 19 of the 25 opponents he faced in the ring.
“I don’t think it’s going to be an easy fight. I’ve prepared for a tough 12 rounds. He’s very durable and he’s been in the ring with great fighters,” Opetaia told iFL TV. “I’m going to adapt in the ring, find that and take advantage of it. We’re comfortable with being uncomfortable. We’re always in pain in the gym. For us, this is It’s just another day at the office.”
Plus, the rest of the undercard has a bit more of an international flair. Heavyweights Fabio Wardley and Fraser Clarke are set to take on each other. Wardley’s record is 17-0-1 with 16 knockouts. Chris Eubank Jr. is also scheduled to return to action against Kamil Sheremeta in a middleweight contest. And women’s WBC featherweight champion Skye Nicholson is set to defend her title against Raven Chapman in an intriguing bout.
Before we get into the main event predictions and expert picks, let’s take a closer look at the complete fight card with the latest odds.
Bivol vs. Beterbiev fight card, odds
Dmitri Bivol (c) -125 vs. Artur Beterbiev (c) +110, undisputed light heavyweight title Jai Opetaia (c) -2000 vs. Jack Massey +900, IBF cruiserweight title
Fabio Wardley -140 vs. Fraser Clarke +125, heavyweight
Chris Eubank Jr. -2500 vs. Kamil Zeremeta +1000, middleweight
Skye Nicholson (c) -600 vs. Raven Chapman +400, WBC Featherweight Title
Ben Whittaker -2000 vs. Liam Cameron +900, light heavyweight
Highlights of Bivol vs. Beterbiev
Date: October 12 Location: Kingdom Arena — Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Start time: 6:00 PM ET (Main event streaming: Main event on ESPN+, undercard matches on DAZN PPV ($19.99)
prediction
Brian Campbell: What can only be described as a true 50/50 showdown between future Hall of Famers, this light heavyweight showdown will see if Bivol can withstand the power in the second half and especially Beterbiev in the championship round. It depends on you. Usually at its best. Bivol has never been knocked down as a pro, and a large part of that is due to his speed, defense, and ability to get in and out of trouble. But Bivol will need to take more chances than he has in the past to win a fight against a boxer as talented as the power-punching Beterbiev. Look for Bivol to establish a rhythm as a young, busy boxer and win the majority of the first six rounds. But even Bivol needs to know what all 20 of Beterbiev’s opponents already have. No one can last a full 12 rounds against this absolute destroyer. Beterbiev KO10 win
Brent Brookhouse: On the surface, this fight will look like a battle between Bivol’s technical ability and Beterbiev’s sheer strength. This shows that even though Bivol is not as powerful as Beterbiev, he has enough power to be respected, and that Beterbiev has incredible technique, even though he is not a ring tactician like Bivol. We have overlooked the fact that this power can only be demonstrated through this.
Given that the 39-year-old Beterbiev is starting to show some signs of physical decline, it makes sense that the odds are going Bivol’s way a little. He has been plagued by injuries in recent years and has only played three games since the start of 2022. Mind you, Beterbiev had the upper hand in these fights, but in a competitive fight like Bivol vs. Beterbiev, what do you want? It’s the little things that can decide a fight, and Beterbiev’s age may be that “little thing.”
Still, Bivol’s chin has to be braced as Beterbiev lands, and it hurts when he lands. Ultimately, the fight will come down to whether Bivol can use his ring IQ to stay off the ropes and out of the corner where Beterbiev can best trade. Given how well Bivol overcame the danger against Alvarez, there’s reason to think he can do it against an even more dangerous opponent in Beterbiev. Pick: Dmitry Bivol (via UD)
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