Dmitry Bivol will use movement and his boxing skills to test unified light heavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev’s recently healed knee in their undisputed 175-lb championship fight on October 12.
The two champions will meet in the main event at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Bivol has the youth, speed and movement advantage over Beterbiev. The question is, can Bivol avoid being caught like Beterbiev’s last 20 opponents?
Beterbiev’s knee: a key factor
If Beterbiev’s knee is 100%, Bivol will have problems in this fight, because even if he moves non-stop, Artur will trap him and force him into firefights. Bivol lacks the chin for that kind of battle.
Bivol will try to outplay Beterbiev, frustrate him with movement and not be in striking distance so he can land his short power shots. We might see a lot of holding by Bivol to stop Beterbiev from throwing whenever he gets close. It will be boring for the fans, but Bivol has no choice.
In WBA light heavyweight champion Bivol’s recent fights against Lyndon Arthur, Malik Zinad and Gilberto Ramirez, he used movement to dodge the punches of these fighters.
He got the better of them by jumping forward to land quick 1-2 shots and then retreating to avoid backfire. This is the path Bivol will surely take against Beterbiev, who is too dangerous for him to fight.
Bivol’s strategy: outwit, frustrate and dodge
Bivol knows he can’t afford to stay in the pocket against a puncher like Beterbiev because he’s not on the same level as him on the inside and doesn’t have the knack for that type of fight.
WBA light heavyweight champion Bivol (23-0, 12 KOs) cannot afford to engage in risky exchanges with IBF/WBC/WBO champion Beterbiev (20-0, 20 KOs) without getting hurt. So Bivol (33) will likely use the ring to force Beterbiev to move around and test his knee by making him rush.
Bivol has no choice but to stay on the move for three minutes of each round and not be brave against Beterbiev. It is not Canelo Alvarez or an inexperienced Malik Zinad who fights Bivol on October 12.
