Dmitry Bivol and Artur Beterbiev will fight for the undisputed lightweight championship tonight at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The fight is seen as the boxer versus the puncher, but it’s really two boxer-punchers going to determine who is the top dog in the 175-lb division.
WBA light heavyweight champion Bivol (23-0, 12 KOs) has speed, mobility and the edge of youth. Age could play a factor in this fight for the 39-year-old Beterbiev as he is coming off right knee surgery earlier this year. But if he performs at the level he did on January 13 against Callum Smith, Bivol will be in trouble. Beterbiev didn’t look old in that fight.
Tonight’s Beterbiev-Bivol fight will be shown live on ESPN+ at 6 pm ET / 3 pm PT.
“I like the Eddie Hearn vs. Artur Beterbiev rivalry. Hearn knows the game, and he got people interested. He got under Beterbiev’s skin a little bit, and he showed us some venom,” said commentator Todd Grisham . Top Rank Boxing.
“Did Eddie Hearn shake him? Did he get under his skin? said Dev Sahni of Queensberry Promotions.
Beterbiev didn’t seem upset when he questioned Hearn about why he talked so much about him during the final press conference. He appeared more irritated than anything. Hearn does this kind of thing often, trying to upset the fighters who are competing against his guys. He does it to help, not just to create interest from fans.
“I think Beterbiev’s team has caved a little to the perception that this is the boxer versus the brawler,” said reporter Chris Mannix. “We know that Bivol is a very talented boxer, but Beterbiev’s team is right. He is an elite boxer in his own right. He is a two-time Olympian. He has a lot of amateur medals.”
Fans see Beterbiev’s 20-0 record with 20 knockouts, and naturally assume he’s a brawler, which he is. Beterbiev can box at times, but it’s a means to an end. He does so to set up his opponents for high power shots to knock them down.
“He’ll touch you. He’ll throw four- and five-punch combinations with regularity. There’s a lot of boxing skill in Artur Beterbiev. At the same time, I think the 12 knockouts on Bivol’s resume are a little misleading.
“I think he has more power than those 12 knockouts suggest. Bivol is the type of guy who rises to the level of his competition.”
Bivol has good power, but rarely uses it because his focus is always on throwing quick combos and then moving away. Don’t put your feet to charge on your fists. In Bivol’s last fight against Malik Zinadwent on a rampage, landing 18 consecutive shots to the head to earn a sixth-round stoppage on June 1. Bivol needed to throw a lot of punches to get the knockout.
“Both men are two examples of Eastern European styles where you maximize your natural and physical ability,” said trainer Andy Lee about Bivol and Beterbiev. “What I look for in fighters is that Beterbiev can force him to retreat. Can he put him on the ropes? What can he do once he gets him there?
Bivol will retire if Beterbiev comes forward because that’s how he always fights. Bivol tends to give ground when pushed by powerful punchers, because he doesn’t want to get hit. What will be interesting to see is what Bivol will do when he comes out of real estate and is taken by Beterbiev. Will he fight or hold?
“With Bivol, I’m trying to see if he can hold his hands. Can he punch and fail Beterbiev, and then counter that?” said Lee.
