WBA light heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol believes triple-belt champion Artur Beterbiev will be fully recovered from his recent knee surgery when they meet on October 12 in Riyadh.
Beterbiev (20-0, 20 KOs) has worked his way back from knee surgery, and will be ready to fight the undefeated Bivol (23-0, 12 KOs) in their headliner, live on DAZN PPV at the Kingdom Arena.
One thing Beterbiev has going for him is that he doesn’t move much outside of straight lines. Therefore, the only thing he will need to worry about is getting to Bivol to cut off the ring if he chooses to stay on the run.
Beterbiev’s ability to cut off the ring will be important because Bivol will not be able to stay in the pocket and fight him due to his lack of strength, weak chin, and tendency to avoid punishment.
“I feel happy that the fight will take place soon because I have had a great journey in my boxing career, and now, it will be in the final,” said Dmitry Bivol on iFL TV about the fact that there are only two and a half weeks until he faces Artur Beterbiev on October 12 in Riyadh.
It may not be Bivol’s last outing if he loses to Beterbiev on October 12 as he will need to continue following his vision to be unopposed in the rematch if there is one. If Beterbiev vacates the titles and moves up to cruiserweight, Bivol will need to collect belts slowly, which could take years.
“Artur Beterbiev is a great player. He knows how to fix his problems. He can be in very good shape. That’s what I have in my head. Of course I don’t think he is injured or the fight is postponed. We agreed on this date. We’re going to fight, and he’s going to be in great shape,” Bivol said of him expecting Beterbiev to make a 100% recovery from his recent knee surgery.
A video clip of Beterbiev running in the mountains in Russia suggests that his surgically repaired knee is fine and he will be able to withstand the rigors of the fight against Bivol.
“Yes, I respect all the fighters who entered the ring with me. I just believe that I can use all my abilities. I need to use it all. I have to think twice and focus every fight and I can win. I believe that he is the strongest fighter of all and the strongest of all,” Bivol said when asked if he respects Beterbiev.
It would be crazy if Bivol didn’t respect Beterbiev because he’s the best guy he’s ever fought. Canelo Alvarez was at the top of his game when he fought Bivol in 2022, but he was smaller at 5’8″ and didn’t have the size or inside game that Beterbiev has.
It’s hard for fans to believe that Beterbiev has a better inside game than Canelo, who is known to be a superior fighter up close. However, Beterbiev throws short punches with great power and doesn’t need to focus on throwing hoops, leaving him open to getting hit the way Canelo does.
“After my fight with Canelo, I was there to fight again, but he chose a few more fights. Then, we realized that we had to move forward. Now, I’ve moved on. I have my way. If we cross paths, I will give him a second. But now, I’m only focused on October 12,” said Bivol.
The good news is that there is still a chance for Bivol to get a rematch with Canelo, but he has to beat Beterbiev to get it. Canelo is looking for a chance to win the undisputed light heavyweight championship to give him a chance to take on a serious fight against Bivol.
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