Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol: A Clash of Titans in the Desert
Boxing fans, brace yourselves for a thrilling showdown as Artur Beterbiev prepares to defend his undisputed light heavyweight championship against Dmitry Bivol in a highly anticipated rematch. The stage is set at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and the action will unfold on Saturday at 11 a.m. ET, available on DAZN PPV. This bout promises to be a spectacle, with both fighters eager to prove their mettle in the ring.
Artur Beterbiev, with an impeccable record of 21-0, including 20 knockouts, is a force to be reckoned with. His victory over Bivol last October by majority decision was a testament to his skill and determination. That win added the WBA belt to his collection, which already included the WBC, WBO, and IBF titles. Remarkably, it was the first time Beterbiev went the distance, ending his 20-fight KO streak. Since November 11, 2017, Beterbiev has held at least one of these prestigious belts, marking an impressive seven-year-plus reign as a champion. This upcoming fight will be his 10th defense of the IBF title, seventh of the WBC title, fourth of the WBO title, and first of the WBA belt.
Despite his victory, Beterbiev was not entirely satisfied with his performance. “I wanted to box today with more quality,” he admitted. “I don’t know why, but I didn’t like this fight. But I’ll be better one day.” His words reflect a champion’s mindset, always striving for improvement.
On the other side of the ring, Dmitry Bivol, with a record of 23-1 and 12 knockouts, is determined to avenge his first professional defeat. In their previous encounter, Bivol landed more punches than Beterbiev, with 142 to 137, and was more effective, landing 34% of his punches compared to Beterbiev’s 20%. However, it wasn’t enough to sway the judges, who scored the fight 113-115, 112-116, and 114-114 in favor of Beterbiev.
Bivol is grateful for the opportunity to redeem himself. “I have another chance,” he said. “Not too many people get another chance. People like the fight which they saw the first time and they want to see it again, see me in the ring again. It’s good, I have to work for it.” Beterbiev is a slight favorite to win the rematch at -125 per ESPN BET, but Bivol’s determination and skill make this a must-watch event.
In the co-main event, Joseph Parker will face Martin Bakole after IBF champion Daniel Dubois was forced to withdraw due to illness. The winner of this fight could potentially face Oleksandr Usyk for the undisputed championship. Parker, a former WBO heavyweight champion, is on a five-fight winning streak, including decision victories over Deontay Wilder in 2023 and Zhilei Zhang last March. Bakole, with a record of 21-1 and 16 knockouts, has won 10 consecutive fights since his loss to Michael Hunter in 2018. His recent victory over Jared Anderson by fifth-round KO in August showcased his power and skill.
Let’s delve into the numbers that define these matchups, with data from ESPN Research and CompuBox:
- 23: Combined number of title fights for Beterbiev and Bivol (Bivol 13, Beterbiev 10).
- 3: Russian-born male boxers to hold at least three world titles at one time (Beterbiev, Kostya Tszyu, and Sergey Kovalev).
- 12: Undisputed men champions in boxing’s four-belt era.
- 1: Undisputed light heavyweight champion in the four-belt era. Beterbiev earned this distinction with a narrow victory over Bivol in October. A win in Saturday’s rematch would make Beterbiev just the seventh fighter in the four-belt era to successfully defend an undisputed title.
- 50%: Percentage of power punches landed by Bivol against Beterbiev in their first encounter (84 of 168), compared to 29% for Beterbiev (90 of 306).
- 13.8%: Percentage of landed punches against Bivol in his 24 professional fights, including his defeat to Beterbiev. Bivol is one of the best defensive fighters in the world.
- 95%: Knockout percentage for Beterbiev in his 21 professional fights, the highest among all current champions.
The Beterbiev-Bivol 2 fight card features six title fights, including three for major world titles and three for interim titles. Before Dubois withdrew, there were to be seven title fights overall, four for major titles. The lineup includes:
- Title fight: Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol, 12 rounds, for Beterbiev’s undisputed light heavyweight championship
- Joseph Parker vs. Martin Bakole, 12 rounds, heavyweights
- Title fight: Shakur Stevenson vs. Josh Padley, 12 rounds, for Stevenson’s WBC lightweight title
- Title fight: Carlos Adames vs. Hamzah Sheeraz, 12 rounds, for Adames’ WBC middleweight title
- Vergil Ortiz Jr. vs. Israil Madrimov, 12 rounds, for the vacant WBC junior middleweight interim title
- Joshua Buatsi vs. Callum Smith, 12 rounds, for Buatsi’s WBO light heavyweight interim title
- Zhilei Zhang vs. Agit Kabayel, 12 rounds, for the vacant WBC heavyweight interim title
As the boxing world eagerly awaits this epic rematch, the numbers tell a story of two fighters at the pinnacle of their careers, each with something to prove. Will Beterbiev maintain his unbeaten record and continue his reign as the undisputed champion, or will Bivol seize his second chance and claim victory? Tune in to witness history in the making.
Originally Written by: Andres Ferrari
