Commentator Teddy Atlas believes Dmitry Bivol has the mental strength to overcome Artur Beterbiev’s punching power to defeat him on Saturday night. The former Atlas trainer thinks Bivol will handle the steam Beterbiev will put on him. The Beterbiev vs. Bivo matchup will be shown live on ESPN+ this Saturday, October 12, at 6:00 pm ET / 3 pm PT.
Atlas did not address Beterbiev’s torn meniscus knee injury from which he is returning. It is much more important than the mental pressure that he was in his interview today because if he is not completely recovered from it, Bivol will take advantage of it.
Atlas feels that Bivol will use his movement and skills to knock out IBF, WBC and WBO light heavyweight champion Beterbiev in his undisputed championship this Saturday, October 12 in Riyadh.
Beterbiev (20-0, 20 KOs) defeated one of the Atlas fighters, Oleksandr Gvozdyk, in October 2019, sending him into retirement after defeating him in the tenth round. It is unclear if Atlas is still bitter about what Beterbiev did for him. If Atlas is still upset about what Beterbiev did to Gvozdyk, you can understand why he would pick Bivol to win; he had a good thing going when he was under his wing.
“I think he will meet Beterbiev in mental strength. Even if he doesn’t have the looks that Beterbiev has, don’t sleep on this guy as far as being mentally tough,” said Teddy Atlas to Fighthypetalking about Dmitry Bivol. “I think he’s just as mentally tough in his own way, and I think he’s not going to evaporate.”
Bivol may have all the mental toughness in the world, but if he can’t handle Beterbiev’s power and pressure, it won’t help him. Can Bivol take the head and body shots that Beterbiev will throw at him for 12 rounds without going down?
Bivol can’t continue the whole fight, and his in-and-out style has to be hit by a big shot from Beterbiev.
“He’s a man who has a little bit of caution to him. It’s part of his DNA; that’s part of his style, his makeup that he’s not a reckless guy,” Atlas told Probox TVtalking about Bivol. “Beterbiev doesn’t think he’s getting reckless, but he’s going to roll the dice more. He’s going to places where there’s more risk involved.
“Bivol isn’t set up that way. He’s set up to box pretty carefully in a calculated way all the time. So, I don’t see that changing that much. Bivol has always been respected for power because he’s a defensive fighter, period. If not you have no power, it could go a little more like any fighter that suits his scenario.
“He will fight his fight, and this is a strategic and technical surgeon outside where he is looking for your cooperation. If he can use your aggression against you, he is also looking for this,” said Atlas.
“He will attack you. He gathers his punches en nombre,” said Paulie Malignaggi about Bivol. “He is on the side of caution, but he never gives up control of the fight.”
The combination of punches that Bivol has done in the past has been against lesser fighters who did not have the power, size or youth to make him pay for that style.
Bivol will have to use a lot of constant movement to avoid being caught by Beterbiev because he will be pressured non-stop in this fight.
Bivol’s opponents during his 10-year professional career have not been at Beterbiev’s level in terms of pressure ability, power and ability. Bivol’s best wins were against faded fighters Canelo Alvarez, Sullivan Barrera and Jean Pascal. He almost lost to Craig Richards in 2021 and fought Lyndon Arthur. Those guys are not at Beterbiev’s level.
