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Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol clash for the undisputed light heavyweight title on Saturday, live on ESPN+ [in the US]. Both men enter the fight unbeaten and in supreme physical condition, but only one can emerge as the first undisputed light heavyweight champion since 1999.
Bivol (23-0, 12 KOs), the WBA champion who holds a significant victory over Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, won the interim version of the belt in just seven professional fights. He was later elevated to ‘regular’ titlist and, in 2019, became the “super” champion. The WBA is a rather complicated sanctioning body. In short, Bivol has been the top WBA titlist for the past six years. The Russian scored his first knockout in over six years when he stopped replacement opponent Malik Zinad in the sixth round on June 1 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Bivol was originally set to face Beterbiev on June 1 before the latter suffered a knee injury.
Beterbiev (20-0, 20 KOs), who holds the other three belts in his weight class, comes into the contest having knocked out every man he has ever faced as a professional. The Montreal-based Russian is coming off a seventh-round TKO over former super middleweight titleholder Callum Smith in January.
Breaking Down Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol
This is a classic battle between two elite tacticians. Both fighters have a strong case for victory when they square off at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Bivol’s boxing ability, jab, ring IQ, and adaptability are his bread and butter.
Contrary to popular belief, Beterbiev is more than a power-punching machine. He’s a very solid technical fighter who intelligently stalks his prey and has very underrated ring generalship. Throughout his career, Beterbiev has been fantastic at cutting off the ring, and his ability to do so has put all of his opponents in uncomfortable situations that no one has managed to escape. This Bivol guy, though, he could be the one.
If this fight took place in 2019, I probably would have picked Beterbiev. While still an excellent fighter, he is 39 now. Father Time is undefeated, and despite his 100% KO rating, all good things come to an end. Bivol, 33, is younger, fresher, and difficult to hit. We also have to factor in that Beterbiev has been starting to go through a lot of wear and tear in his old age. It’s a yearly occurrence that Beterbiev has to postpone a fight. That could be a sign that his body isn’t holding up as well as it used to, and he cuts easier nowadays. All of this is an advantage for Bivol, but that power cannot be underestimated.
Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol Prediction
It’s going to be a nip and tuck fight, but I’ll take Dmitry Bivol by unanimous decision.
Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol Betting Odds
Per BetMGM, Dmitry Bivol is the favorite at -140, and Artur Beterbiev is the underdog at +120.
Artur Beterbiev: TKO/KO+175; Decision +700
Draw: +1800
Dmitry Bivol: TKO/KO +600; Decision +110
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All signs point to Yankees moving on from Anthony Volpe
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