Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol has one week left before they meet for the four-belt undisputed 175-lb championship next Saturday, October 12, at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The fight will be streamed live on DAZN PPV along with the undercard.
Beterbiev (20-0, 20 KOs), the IBF, WBC and WBO light heavyweight champion, looks set for destruction against WBA champion Bivol (23-0, 12 KOs).
Fans wonder if Beterbiev’s surgically repaired right knee is 100%. He is making a quick return to the ring after surgery to repair a meniscus tear, which can limit his mobility.
Fans have been looking forward to this fight because it will show who is the #1 guy in a well-stocked light heavyweight division. Bivol’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, says there is no rematch clause for the fight, but he says they can fight again if it’s competitive.
If Bivol gets knocked out, Hearn might persuade him to go in a different direction rather than face Beterbiev and get knocked out a second time. He would like Bivol to face Canelo Alvarez next, and it doesn’t matter if he enters the fight coming off a loss to Beterbiev. This makes sense because if Bivol gets beaten twice by Beterbiev, the Canelo rematch is no longer a viable option.
“It’s a tough battle. Before the injury I had Artur win, but I feel now, Artur is not going to be able to move his feet that well to catch Bivol. Bivol may only be able to box him for 12 rounds,” said Curmel Moton YSM Sports Media.
The knee injury makes it hard to favor Beterbiev in this fight, but maybe he’s recovered enough to be ready. If it’s 100%, Beterbiev has an excellent chance to win this fight because Bivol is not a big puncher, has a weak chin and a weak inside game.
“I spoke to some of Artur’s old sparring partners, who did thousands of rounds with him, and they said, ‘He’s something else.’ They say, ‘He’s something crazy.’ I think now, I lean a little towards Artur. I like Bivol though. If I had to bet, I’d put my money on Artur,” said Moton.
“Just be himself, really. Stay sharp, don’t let Artur catch him and keep boxing,” Moton said of what Bivol needs to do to defeat Beterbiev. “I feel he’s going to have to catch Artur with something to get him respected so he doesn’t go too crazy. He’s going to have to sit on some of his shots.”
Another week ☝🏻 pic.twitter.com/JqvcZofIQN
— Artur Beterbiev (@ABeterbiev) October 5, 2024
Beterbiev Jab and his inside work will overwhelm Bivol early and Beterbiev will press for the stop 7-10 🥊🥊🥊🔥🇷🇺🇷🇺🇷🇺 #BeterbievBivol pic.twitter.com/eMmM9TtMf5
— Joe Boxing 🥊🥊✝️✝️✝️🥊🥊 (@Joseph321432332) October 4, 2024
