A battle between two of boxing’s most formidable warriors will shortly be upon us, with Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol gearing up for their undisputed showdown.
With four major world titles up for grabs, the two unbeaten light heavyweights will headline a star-studded card in Saudi Arabia this Saturday.
Moreover, their compelling clash for supremacy at 175 lbs is almost impossible to predict, with some favoring the pulverizing power of Artur Beterbiev while others lean towards the silky skills of Dmitry Bivol.
And when considering the standout performances that both Beterbiev and Bivol have produced in recent years, it suddenly becomes even more difficult to envision an outcome for the contest.
But still, Bloody Knockout aims to bring you two informed predictions which, if anything, should spark a little more debate prior to the eagerly anticipated dustup.
Dmitry Bivol on points – Oscar Pick
For me, Bivol has always been an underrated operator at world level. And yet, when you consider his performances prior to the Canelo Alvarez fight – which was, of course, his coming out party – then it shouldn’t have come as much of a surprise when he outboxed, outfoxed and largely outworked the Mexican star.
With comprehensive victories over seasoned campaigners such as Joe Smith Jr and Jean Pascal, Bivol has proven that, even against top level opposition, he is able to drag his opponents into deep water, suffocating them with his front foot pressure.
And while Beterbiev is perhaps the only fighter in this division who can match his countryman’s front foot aggression, Bivol also has plenty more strings to his bow – such as his ability to box fluidly on the back foot – which make him a remarkably versatile, well-rounded fighter.
On top of that, it is no secret that Beterbiev – a monster parading the light heavyweight division – has often struggled to make the 175 lb limit. But now, at the age of 39, and having only just recovered from a knee injury, one can only imagine how much the weight cut for this fight will take out of him.
And so, based on these factors, I will be picking Bivol to win via a unanimous decision.
Dmitry Bivol on points – Callum Boyle
As far as fights go, this is one of the hardest I’ve had to call in a long while. A lot has been made of Beterbiev’s 100% knockout-to-win ratio, but do not underestimate Bivol.
Beterbiev is the more powerful puncher of the two and I don’t think there is a fighter in the world who could withstand a full 12-round contest of soaking in those punches but people are quick to forget that he has been knocked down four times in his career already.
Add in the fact that he has struggled with injuries and is also six years older than Bivol, his opponent can use that to his advantage.
Bivol himself is also no slouch when it comes to punching power and crucially, he has been in the position of being everybody’s underdog in the past. Think back to that incredible victory against Canelo among others
I really think this could go down as fight of the year but the only way Beterbiev will win this is by knocking out Bivol and I think the latter’s game plan will get him over the line and take the 39-year-old the full 12 rounds, by which time fatigue will creep in.
Bivol to win on points unanimously for me.