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Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol fight predictions, odds, start time, undercard, preview, where to watch

Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol fight predictions, odds, start time, undercard, preview, where to watch

One of the biggest fights of the year takes place on Saturday when WBC, IBF and WBO light heavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev meets WBA champion Dmitry Bivol in a long-awaited fight for the title of undisputed champion. The fight will take place at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Bivol and Beterbiev have dominated the 175-pound division for years, with a fight between the two seemingly inevitable despite not coming together until the two teams finally agreed to meet on June 1st. That fight was ultimately postponed to Saturday after Beterbiev suffered an injury in training camp.

Beterbiev (20-0, 20 KO) is the only current boxing champion with a 100% stoppage rate. This power suggests that Beterbiev is a pure thug, and his brutal style supports this assumption. However, Beterbiev is a talented technician who was a successful amateur, winning European and World Championships before turning professional.

In 2017, Beterbiev stopped Enrico Kolling to win the IBF title, his first world championship as a professional. Interestingly, Beterbiev stopped Kolling with just 27 seconds left in the 12th and final lap, making him the closest he came to the judges’ scorecards.

Beterbiev stopped Oleksandr Gvozdyk in a highly anticipated 2019 unification fight to add the WBC title to his collection. Three fights later, Beterbiev defeated Joe Smith Jr. in the second round to capture the WBO title. He then defended his three world titles against Anthony Yarde and Callum Smith.

“I don’t know, but if so [Alalshikh] I think we know this man who helped make this fight happen. He helped us in this fight. But we never know if it hadn’t happened [without him]“Beterbiev said. “Every good boxer wants to have an opportunity like this.” I’m really happy. I worked towards this goal every day.

Like Beterbiev, Bivol (23-0, 12 KOs) transitioned from a successful amateur career to the professional ranks. His path to becoming WBA “super” champion was quite confusing.

Bivol defeated Felix Valera in 2016 to win the WBA interim title. He fought four times and defended the interim title twice before being named “regular” champion in late 2017 after Andre Ward retired as “super” champion and Badou Jack vacated the “regular” title.

Bivol defended the “regular” version of the title five times before finally being elevated to the true “Super” World Championship champion in 2019.

Although already considered one of the best boxers in the world, Bivol finally gained notoriety in the larger boxing world when he was selected by generational superstar Saul “Canelo” Alvarez as an opponent in Alvarez’s attempt to move up to light heavyweight and become a 175 contender For the second time in his career he became pound champion.

Against Alvarez, Bivol delivered a boxing masterclass, using effective defense and technique to pull off a massive upset and handing Alvarez only the second defeat of his professional career.

“Just like a soldier wants to be a general, [becoming undisputed champion] is the same thing,” Bivol told TNT Sports during his “face-off” with Beterbiev this week. “This is the final step for all professional boxers.” What more will you achieve in this weight class if we talk about trophies and belts? That’s what everything was there for.”

With Bivol and Beterbiev establishing themselves as the best light heavyweights in the world, the wills that prevented their meeting have finally been broken and the two now meet with an upcoming fight between David Morrell and David Benavidez, creating an immediate “next man up.” “Top” is created for the winner.

Elsewhere on the card, IBF cruiserweight champion Jai Opetaia is back as he puts it all on the line against Jack Massey. Opetaia, the 29-year-old Australian, has looked great in recent games. He defeated veteran and former cruiserweight titleholder Mairis Briedis in May to capture the vacant IBF title. Opetaia has stopped 19 of the 25 opponents he has faced in the ring.

“I don’t think it will be an easy fight. I prepared for a tough 12 rounds, he’s very durable, he’s been in the ring with some great fighters,” Opetaia told iFL TV. “I’m going to adapt in the ring, find it and capitalize on it. We feel comfortable when we feel uncomfortable. We are constantly chasing pain in the gym. It’s just another day at the office for us.”

Let’s take a closer look at the full fight card with the latest odds before we get to the predictions and expert picks for the main event.

Bivol vs. Beterbiev fight card, odds

  • Dmitry Bivol (c) -125 vs. Artur Beterbiev (c) +110, undisputed light heavyweight championship
  • Jai Opetaia (c) -2000 vs. Jack Massey +900, IBF cruiserweight title
  • Fabio Wardley -140 vs. Frazer Clarke +125, heavyweights
  • Chris Eubank Jr. -2500 vs. Kamil Szeremeta +1000, middleweight
  • Skye Nicolson (c) -600 vs. Raven Chapman +400, WBC featherweight title
  • Ben Whittaker -2000 vs. Liam Cameron +900, light heavyweights

Where to watch Bivol vs Beterbiev?

  • Date: Oct. 12
  • Location: Kingdom Arena – Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
  • Start time: 6:00 p.m. ET (main event
  • Streaming: ESPN+ for main event, DAZN PPV for undercard fights ($19.99)

forecast

Brian Campbell: What matters in this light heavyweight summit clash is whether Bivol can handle the power of Beterbiev in the second half, particularly in the championship rounds where Beterbiev is usually at his best. Bivol has never been beaten down as a pro, and that’s due in large part to his speed, his defense, and his ability to dart his way in and out of trouble. But to win a fight against a boxer as talented as the powerful puncher Beterbiev, Bivol will have to take more chances than ever before. Expect Bivol to claim the majority of the first six rounds as he establishes his rhythm as a younger and busier boxer. But even Bivol will surely find out what all of Beterbiev’s 20 opponents already have: no one can last 12 full rounds against this absolute destroyer. Beterbiev via KO10

Brent Brookhouse: On the surface, this fight appears to be a battle between Bivol’s technical prowess and Beterbiev’s brute force. What is overlooked is that Bivol – even if he is not as powerful as Beterbiev – has so much power that he must be respected, and Beterbiev – although he is not a ring tactician like Bivol – can only use his power because he has phenomenal power technology has.

The likelihood of Bivol’s path going down slightly makes sense considering the 39-year-old Beterbiev is starting to weaken. He has suffered numerous injuries in recent years and has only fought three times since the start of 2022. Beterbiev may have been dominant in those fights, but in a fight as competitive as Bivol vs. Beterbiev, he’s just the thing. The little things that could define a fight, and Beterbiev’s age could be that “little thing.”

Still, Bivol’s chin has to hold up because Beterbiev is going to land, and when he lands, it hurts. Ultimately, it comes down to whether Bivol can use his ring IQ to stay away from the ropes and corners where Beterbiev can best practice his craft. Given how well Bivol handled the dangers of his fight with Alvarez, there is reason to believe he will be able to do so against an even more dangerous opponent in Beterbiev. Selection: Dmitry Bivol via UD

Who will win Artur Beterbiev against Dmitry Bivol and how exactly does the fight end? Visit SportsLine now for detailed picks and analysis from the peerless expert who has won more than $4,000 for $100 bettors in the last 67 picks, and find out.