Getting Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol in the ring took years of talking and speculation. On Saturday, Beterbiev and Bivol will share the ring for the second time in four months.
Beterbiev got the better of Bivol on the scorecards in their October meeting, becoming undisputed light heavyweight champion in the process. The result wasn’t without controversy, however, with most media outlets scoring the fight narrowly for Bivol. It wasn’t a robbery, but things certainly didn’t feel settled the first time around and Turki Alalshikh, the Saudi power who helped construct the first fight, called for an immediate rematch.
Bivol slowed in the late rounds of the first fight, possibly a result of Beterbiev’s early focus on working the body. Those late rounds proved critical to the result, with Beterbiev taking a majority decision on scores of 115-113, 116-112 and 114-114.
Speaking with Fight Hub TV, Bivol said he knows the fight will be too close for him to fade late, or take any round off.
Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol 2: Expect even more fireworks in the rematch and a possible trilogy fight
Brian Campbell
“I have to do it not only last rounds, I have to do it all fight”, Bivol said. “I was thinking about generally, I have to do not just one punch more or one round more. I have to be better, I have to win each round without a doubt.”
For Beterbiev, the first meeting was a new experience. Bivol was the first man who managed to take Beterbiev the distance. Prior to that fight, Beterbiev had stopped all 20 of his professional opponents.
“It’s a new experience,” Beterbiev said in the ring after the fight. “I’m happy for that. I’m a very simple boxer. Boxers in the world like me, there’s more than 1,000. Even Muhammad Ali had fights go the distance.”
Still, there’s little doubt Beterbiev wants to score a stoppage the second time around. His bruising, pressure style is built to break through opponents’ defenses and break them down.
The rematch largely comes down to whether Bivol can keep Beterbiev off of him and more effectively use movement and jabs to pile up points. If Beterbiev is able to stay inside, it could be another disappointing night for Bivol.
The rest of the card is stacked with big names and intriguing fights, a rarity in modern boxing.
Martin Bakole stepped in on short notice to face Joseph Parker after IBF heavyweight champion Daniel Dubois fell ill during fight week. Securing Bakole on short notice was a big save as he’s one of the best heavyweights in the world and Parker deserves that level of opponent after recent wins over Deontay Wilder and Zhilei Zhang. Zhang will also be in action on the card as he faces Agit Kabayel in the night’s other big heavyweight pairing.
WBC lightweight champion Shakur Stevenson will also face a late replacement due to illness after Floyd Schofield withdrew from their fight. Stevenson will now face Josh Padley, who is coming off a big upset of Mark Chamberlain in September.
“It’s been kind of crazy. It’s been a lot going on, but I’ve remained focused,” Stevenson said. “I know I put in a lot of work this training camp and I’m coming here with the same mentality. I know this is a guy that wants to take food off my table and I’m not going to let him.
“I mean, I fought in the amateurs. I feel like it reminds me of the amateurs where you don’t know who you are going to fight next. It’s okay, I’m going to feel him out and take care of business.”
Let’s take a closer look at the rest of the undercard with the latest odds before getting to a prediction and expert pick on the main event.
Beterbiev vs. Bivol 2 fight card, odds
- Artur Beterbiev (c) -130 vs. Dmitry Bivol +105, undisputed light heavyweight title
- Joseph Parker -155 vs. Martin Bakole +125, heavyweights
- Shakur Stevenson (c) -4000 vs. Josh Padley +1400, WBC lightweight title
- Hamzah Sheeraz -300 vs. Carlos Adames (c) +235, WBC middleweight title
- Vergil Ortiz Jr. -125 vs. Israil Madrimov +100, junior middleweights
- Agit Kabayel -165 vs. Zhilei Zhang +135, heavyweights
- Joshua Buatsi -205 vs. Callum Smith +165, light heavyweights
- Mohammed Alakel vs. Engel Gomez, lightweights
Where to watch Beterbiev vs. Bivol 2
- Date: Saturday, Feb. 22
- Start time: 10:30 a.m. ET | Where: Venue Riyadh — Riyadh
- Stream: DAZN PPV or PPV.com | Price: $25.99
Prediction
There are reasons to expect both Beterbiev and Bivol to be better in the rematch. Beterbiev came into the fight having had knee surgery months prior. He has admitted his knee was not at 100% in that first fight but with four months to continue healing and gaining strength, he should be able to even more effectively apply his pressure-first style.
Bivol faded late in the first fight and knows he can’t afford to give away rounds in the rematch. Looking at both fighters, Bivol is the man better equipped to adjust his approach with the data gathered in the first fight. Whether he can make those changes is the key to his chances of becoming undisputed champion.
We scored the first fight narrowly for Bivol and with his ability to make the better adjustments for the rematch, the fight shades slightly his way despite his being a slight underdog. Pick: Dmitry Bivol via SD
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