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 clash to crown an undisputed champion. The fight takes place at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
For years, Bivol and Beterbiev have dominated the 175-pound division, with a bout between the two seemingly inevitable, though failing to come together until the two sides finally reached an agreement to meet on June 1. That fight ended up getting delayed to Saturday after Beterbiev suffered a training camp injury.
Beterbiev (20-0, 20 KO) is the only current champion in boxing with a 100% stoppage rate. That power suggests Beterbiev is a pure brawler, and his mauling style backs up that assumption. Beterbiev is, however, a talented technician who was a successful amateur who won 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 remaining in the 12th and final round, the closest he's come to reaching the judges' scorecards.
Beterbiev stopped Oleksandr Gvozdyk in a much-anticipated 2019 unification bout to add the WBC title to his collection. Three fights later, Beterbiev thumped Joe Smith Jr. in the second round to capture the WBO title. He has gone on to defend his three world titles against Anthony Yarde and Callum Smith.
"I don't know about it but if [Alalshikh] helped for this fight to happen, I think we know that man. He helped us for this fight. But we never know if it wouldn't have happened [without him]," Beterbiev said. "Every good boxer wants to have an opportunity like this. I'm really happy. I've been working toward this goal everyday."
Like Beterbiev, Bivol (23-0, 12 KO) transitioned from a successful amateur career to the professional ranks. His path to becoming the WBA "super" champion was a fairly confusing one.
Bivol defeated Felix Valera in 2016 to win the WBA interim title. He would fight four times, twice defending the interim title, before being elevated to "regular" champion in late 2017 after a chain of events that saw Andre Ward retiring as "super" champion and Badou Jack vacating the "regular" title.
Bivol would defend the "regular" version of the title five times before finally being elevated to the true world championship "super" champion status in 2019.
While already recognized as one of the best boxers in the world, Bivol finally got exposure 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-pound champion for the second time in his career.
Against Alvarez, Bivol put on a boxing masterclass, using effective defense and technique to score a massive upset and hand Alvarez just the second defeat of his professional career.
"Just like how a soldier wants to be a general, [becoming undisputed champion] is the same," Bivol told TNT Sports this week during his "Face-Off" with Beterbiev. "This is the final step for all of pro boxers. What are you going to achieve more in this weight class if we talk about trophies and belts? Everything was for this."
With Bivol and Beterbiev cemented as the best light heavyweights in the world, the wills preventing their meeting have finally been broken down and the pair now meet with an upcoming bout between David Morrell and David Benavidez establishing an immediate "next man up" for the winner.
Elsewhere on the card, IBF cruiserweight champion Jai Opetaia is back when he puts his strap on the line against Jack Massey. Opetaia, the 29-year-old Aussie, has looked tremendous in recent outings. He bested the veteran and former cruiserweight titleholder Mairis Briedis in May to claim the vacant IBF title. Opetaia has stopped 19 of the 25 opponents he's faced in the ring.
"I don't think it's going to be an easy fight. I've prepared for a hard 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're comfortable being uncomfortable. We're always chasing pain in the gym. This is just another day in the office for us."
Plus, there's some more international flair to the rest of the undercard. Heavyweights Fabio Wardley and Frazer Clarke are set to square off. Wardley is 17-0-1 with 16 knockouts on his resume. There's also Chris Eubank Jr. set to return when he takes on Kamil Szeremeta in a middleweight contest. And women's WBC featherweight champion Skye Nicholson is set to defend her crown against Raven Chapman in an intriguing contest.
Let's take a closer look at the complete fight card with the latest odds before getting to predictions and expert picks on 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, middleweights
- 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 p.m. ET (main event
- Streaming: ESPN+ for main event, DAZN PPV for undercard fights ($19.99)
Prediction
Brian Campbell: In what can only be described as a true, 50/50 matchup between future Hall of Famers, this light heavyweight summit comes down to whether Bivol can handle the power of Beterbiev in the second half, particularly into the championship rounds when Beterbiev typically is at his best. Bivol has never been knocked down as a professional and a large part of that is due to his quickness, defense and ability to dart in and out of trouble. But to win a fight against a boxer as talented as the power-punching Beterbiev, it will require Bivol taking more chances than ever before. Look for Bivol to claim the majority of the first six rounds as he establishes his rhythm as the younger and busier boxer. But even Bivol is bound to find out what all 20 of Beterbiev's opponents already have: no one lasts 12 full rounds against this absolute destroyer. Beterbiev via KO10
Brent Brookhouse: On a surface level, this fight would appear to be a battle between Bivol's technical prowess and Beterbiev's brute power. That overlooks that Bivol -- while not as powerful as Beterbiev -- has enough power that it must be respected, and Beterbiev -- while not a ring tactician like Bivol -- is only able to apply his power because he has phenomenal technique.
The odds shading slightly Bivol's way make sense considering Beterbiev, 39, is starting to see his body break down a bit. He has had a plethora of injuries in recent years and has only fought three times since the start of 2022. Beterbiev has been dominant in those fights, mind you, but in a fight as competitive as Bivol vs. Beterbiev, you're looking for the little things that could determine a fight and Beterbiev's age may be that "little thing."
Even so, Bivol's chin is going to have to hold up because Beterbiev is going to land, and when he lands, it hurts. Ultimately, the fight comes down to whether or not Bivol can use his ring IQ to stay off the ropes and out of corners where Beterbiev can best ply his trade. Given how well Bivol navigated the dangers of his fight with Alvarez, there's reason to think he'll be able to do so against an even more dangerous opponent in Beterbiev. Pick: Dmitry Bivol via UD
Who wins Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol, and how exactly does the fight end? Visit SportsLine now to get detailed picks and analysis from the incomparable expert who was up more than $4,000 for $100 bettors over the past 67 picks, and find out.