In a training clip for WBA light heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol, he focuses on throwing straight punches in combination in preparation for his undisputed bout against triple belt champion Artur Beterbiev on October 12 in Riyadh.
Bivol (23-0, 12 KOs) will put himself in danger of being countered by the hard-hitting Beterbiev (20-0, 20 KOs) by throwing hooks to the head and body in their headline at the Kingdom Arena.
Beterbiev’s last opponent, Callum Smith, tried to hook him, and that strategy failed miserably. Beterbiev quickly broke him down and scored a knockout in the seventh round. Bivol and his training team have clearly studied Beterbiev’s fights and want to avoid the mistakes made by his previous opponents.
It’s going to be hard for Bivol to win if he stands and punches Beterbiev in this fight because he doesn’t have the strength or the chin to stand up under those kinds of fighting conditions.
Bivol’s best bet is to use the hit-and-run approach he used to defeat Canelo Alvarez and Gilberto Ramirez in 2022. That was two years ago, and Bivol is not quite as light on his feet as he was then. He looks like he’s visibly aged, and that may be one reason why he’s more still now.
“I’m ready now, looking forward to October 12. I’m ready to fight,” Dmitry Bivol told DAZN Boxing on X, letting fans know he’s prepared for his showdown against Artur Beterbiev in Riyadh.
Beterbiev, 39, looked angry throughout the promotion of the event and appeared ready to take Bivol apart. He is not happy that he had to wait seven years to face Bivol because he wanted this fight in 2017.
Some fans believe that Bivol deliberately dragged it out to age Beterbiev to increase his chances of success, because if they had fought years ago, he would have been no match for him.
“Ready to fight” 💪 @bivol_d #BeterbievBivol | #Riyadh Season | Oct 12, live on DAZN | 🎥 @turk_alalshikh pic.twitter.com/kmHJFR7cYG
— DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) October 1, 2024
