Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol will finally square off in the fight for undisputed supremacy in the light heavyweight division. The fight is scheduled for June 1 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The chairman of the General Entertainment Authority, his excellency Turki Alalshikh announced the match-up during his appearance on “The MMA Hour” breaking news edition on Saturday. The fight was announced next to the rescheduled Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk bout.
The Road to Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol
Beterbiev currently holds the world titles from WBC, IBF, and WBO. The Russian-born fighter is based in Canada, a relevant factor contributing to the fight’s delay in recent years. With an impressive 20-0 record, Beterbiev secured the IBF title in November 2017 by knocking out Enrico Kolling. In subsequent bouts, he clinched the WBC title with a stoppage of Oleksandr Gvozdyk.
After successfully defending his initial titles, Beterbiev claimed the WBO title from Joe Smith Jr. in June 2022. Notably, he has triumphed over Anthony Yarde and Callum Smith, maintaining a perfect record with all victories by stoppage.
Bivol, the WBA champion, boasts an undefeated record of 22-0. Distinguished as a more tactical fighter than Beterbiev, Bivol has won half of his fights by stoppage, employing superb technique to outmaneuver opponents.
Bivol secured the interim title in his seventh professional outing against Felix Valera in May 2016. Following two interim title defenses, Bivol was promoted to world champion when Badou Jack vacated the title.
He defended his world title 11 times, including a May 2022 victory over pound-for-pound great Saul “Canelo” Alvarez.
While both Beterbiev and Bivol are Russian-born, Bivol resides in Russia, unlike Beterbiev’s Canadian living place. The WBC’s ban on Russian fighters competing for titles after the Russian invasion of Ukraine posed a significant obstacle. However, it seems this hurdle has now been overcome, setting the stage for one of the most intriguing fights in boxing in the middle of 2024.
