One of the biggest fights of the year takes place on Saturday when WBC, IBF and WBO light heavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev meets WBA champion Dmitri Bival in a long-awaited clash to crown an undisputed champion. The fight took place at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
For years, Bivel and Beterbiev dominated the 175-pound division, with a fight between the two seemingly inevitable, though the two sides failed to come together until they finally reached an agreement to meet on June 1. That fight was delayed until Saturday. After an injury in Beterbiev’s training camp.
Beterbiev (20-0, 20 KO) is the only current champion in boxing with a 100% stoppage rate. This strength suggests that Beterbiev is a pure brawler, and his striking style supports that assumption. However, Beterbiev is a talented technician who was a successful amateur who won European and World Championships before turning professional.
In 2017, Beterbiev stopped Enrico Koling to win the IBF title, his first world championship as a professional. Interestingly, Beterbiev stopped Kaling with just 27 seconds remaining in the 12th and final round, the closest he came to reaching the judges’ scorecards.
Beterbiev stopped Oleksandr Govozdyk in a highly anticipated 2019 unification bout to add the WBC title to his collection. After three fights, Beterbiev defeated Joe Smith Jr. in the second round to capture the WBO title. He defended his three world titles against Anthony Yarde and Callum Smith.
Like Beterbiev, Bivol (23-0, 12 KO) transitioned from a successful amateur career to the professional ranks. His path to becoming the WBA “Super” Champion was fairly confusing.
Bivol defeated Felix Valera to win the WBA interim title in 2016. He would fight four times before becoming “regular” champion in late 2017, defending the interim title twice, an event that saw Andre Ward retire as “super” champion and Badu Jack vacate the “regular” title.
Bivol will defend the “regular” version of the title five times before being elevated to true World Championship “super” champion status in 2019.
Already recognized as one of the best boxers in the world, Bivol finally gained recognition in the wider boxing world when he was selected as an opponent by generational superstar Saul “Canelo” Alvarez in an attempt to move up to light heavyweight and box at 175. Pound champion for the second time in his career.
Against Alvarez, Bival put on a boxing masterclass, using effective defense and technique to score a massive upset and hand Alvarez just the second loss of his professional career.
With Bivol and Beterbiev cemented as the best light heavyweights in the world, their desire to avoid a match has finally been broken and the pair are now matched up with an upcoming bout between David Morel and David Benavidez that will establish an immediate “next man up” for the winner. .
Let’s take a closer look at the full fight card with the latest odds before the main event predictions and expert picks.
Bivol vs. Betterbiov fight card, odds
- Dmitry Bivol (c) -125 vs. Artur Beterbiev (c) +110, Undisputed Light Heavyweight Championship
- 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 Szegermeta +1000, Middleweight
- Skye Nicholson (c)-600 vs. Raven Chapman +400, WBC Featherweight Title
- Ben Whittaker -2000 vs Liam Cameron +900, light heavyweight
Where to watch Bivol vs. Beterbiev
- Date: 12 October
- Location: Kingdom Arena — Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- Start Time: 6 pm ET (main event
- Streaming: ESPN+ for main event, DAZN PPV for undercard fights ($19.99)
Prophecy
Brian Campbell: A 50/50 matchup between the future Hall of Famers in what can only be described as true, whether this light heavyweight Summit Bivol can handle Beterbiev’s power in the second half, especially in the championship round when Beterbiev usually: his best Bivol has never been knocked out as a pro, and a big Part is due to his quickness, defense and ability to dart in and out of trouble. But to win a fight against a boxer as talented as the power-punching Beterbiev, Bivol will have to take more chances than ever before. Look for Bivol to claim most of the first six rounds as he establishes his rhythm as a young and busy boxer. But even Bivol is bound to find out what Beterbiev’s 20 opponents already have: No one lasts 12 rounds against this absolute destroyer. Betterbyv via KO10
Brent Brookhouse: On the surface level, this fight would appear to be a battle between Bivol’s technical prowess and Beterbiev’s brute force. This ignores that Bivol — though not as strong as Beterbiev — has enough power that he must be respected, and Beterbiev — though not as great a ring strategist as Beterbiev — is only able to wield his power because he has extraordinary technique.
The odds on Bivol’s path are somewhat understandable when Beterbiev, 39, is starting to break down a bit. He has suffered a lot of injuries in recent years and has fought just three times since the start of 2022. Beterbiev was dominant in those fights, mind you, but in a competitive fight like Bivel vs. Beterbiev you’re looking for the little things that can decide a fight, and Beterbiev’s age could be that “little thing.”
Even so, Bivol has to hold his chin because Beterbiev is about to land, and when he lands, it hurts. In the end, the fight came down to Bivol using his ring IQ to stay off the ropes and out of the corners where Beterbiev could best ply his trade. Considering how well Bival navigated the dangers of his fight with Alvarez, there’s reason to think he’ll be able to do so against Beterbiev’s more dangerous opponent. Pick: Dimitri Bivol via UD
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