Artur Beterbiev will make a quick return from a knee injury to face light heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol on October 12 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. On paper, it’s an even match. However, the odds are leaning in the direction of the younger fighter.
Bivol’s aversion to pressure
Bivol, 33, has fought notable opponents over the past two years, including Canelo Alvarez, Gilberto Ramirez, Craig Richards and Malik Zinad. In contrast, Beterbiev has dealt with injuries that have limited him to one fight a year and kept him from being as busy as he needs to stay in the spotlight.
IBF, WBC and WBO light heavyweight champion Beterbiev (20-0, 20 KOs) has been waiting five years to fight WBA champion Bivol (23-0, 12 KOs) since defeating Oleksandr Gvozdyk in 2019. It took that long for Beterbiev, 40, to finally get the fight, and he didn’t want it, not for the help of His Excellency Turki Alalshikh. Without him, Beterbiev vs. Bivol never happened.
Bivol is a pure boxer who does not like to take punishment in his fights. He will be on the move and use his usual in-and-out style to prevent Beterbiev from trapping him in a fight. It won’t work because Beterbiev is excellent at cutting off the ring and forcing his opponents to trade. He is also good at timing his opponents and landing heavy shots between their shots.
For this fight, Bivol will have to focus on throwing singles if he doesn’t want to be countered by Beterbiev, and it’s going to be difficult. Bivol’s fighting style involves combo punching, and it will be difficult for him to avoid the usual four-punch combos.
The prediction: Beterbiev by KO within 10 rounds
Beterbiev will wear Bivol down, catch him against the ropes and unload on him with a salvo of punches that will send him down for the count. The fight will end in ten rounds, with Beterbiev scoring a knockout.
Beterbiev’s recent knockout wins against Callum Smith, Anthony Yarde and Joe Smith Jr. has shown that he does not lose his power as he ages.
@bivol_d #BeterbievBivol | @DAZNBoxing | #Riyadh Season pic.twitter.com/2xGfagP8kh
— Matchroom Boxing (@MatchroomBoxing) August 26, 2024
Step by step… as usual
pic.twitter.com/tqaqXmQgR6
— Artur Beterbiev (@ABeterbiev) August 24, 2024
