Dmitry Bivol says he understands he must try a different strategy to win the rematch with undisputed lightweight champion Artur Beterbiev in their fight in 60 days on February 22 in Riyadh.
Can Bivol change?
In order for Bivol to win the rematch, he must change his fighting style from being defensive to focusing on being aggressive and staying in the pocket. With his fragile chin, lack of power, age and reluctance to hit, it is unlikely that Bivol can change. He is 34 years old, and is quite set in his ways.
Former WBA 175-lb champion Bivol (23-1, 12 KOs) doesn’t come right out and say it, but he spent too much time running away from Beterbiev (21-0, 20 KOs) after he stunned him with a hard jab . in the seventh round.
Bivol, 34, showed no desire to hold his ground after that round, and the last five rounds were a long, bitter retreat. It was open to see Bivol give up and go on a rampage, giving up the battle and thinking only of survival; he showed weakness and a will to fight. Beterbiev took advantage of Bivol’s reluctance to fight.
I don’t know what can change in a rematch. When a fighter is scared, as Bivol showed, it doesn’t change in a rematch. That fear is still there. You get the same results in the rematch, and the fans go home unhappy.
Turki Alalashikh should have paired Beterbiev against David Benavidez, Joshua Buatsi or David Morrell rather than making a rematch with Bivol. Dmitry should have earned the rematch by going through one or two of those fighters instead of it being given to him after his loss.
The results were 116-112, 115-113 for Beterbiev, and 114-114. Some boxing fans felt that 116-112 was too wide, but reflected on how Bivol could not stand and fight. He used a hit-and-dash style, which showed that he was not willing to fight. Not surprisingly, Bivol’s punches lacked power as his mind focused on escaping. In other words, Bivol was just spoiling.
Sixty days to change
Dmitry’s fans believed he had done enough to deserve the win, but it was obvious to everyone else that Beterbiev had dominated the last six rounds, putting fear into him. Beterbiev exposed Bivol for lack of courage under fire. We already saw that Bivol looked scared when Lyndon Arthur hurt him in the eighth round on December 23, 2023.
“I have another chance and (Turki Alalshikh) said about this date the day after the fight. He wanted to do the rematch on this date. He asked me, he asked Beterbiev who said yes, and from that day I have in my head that I have this chance again,” said Dmitry Bivol to Fighthype about him getting another opportunity to fight Artur Beterbiev.
“Of course, I need to do something different and I know what I will add, I know what I will change a little.”
The rabbit and the wolf
Turki gave Bivol another chance, but it won’t help him unless he fights with more heart, and stops being a timid rabbit like last time. Beterbiev chased him around the ring like a wolf for the last half of the fight, and it looked like Bivol had given up. He was just hoping to win a bad decision.
