WBA light heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol believes three-belt unified champion Artur Beterbiev will be fully healed from his recent knee surgery when they meet on October 12th in Riyadh.
Beterbiev (20-0, 20 KOs) has put in the work to come back from knee surgery, and he’ll be ready for combat duty against the unbeaten Bivol (23-0, 12 KOs) in their headliner, live on DAZN PPV at the Kingdom Arena.
One thing that is going in Beterbiev’s favor is he doesn’t move a lot except in straight lines. So, the only thing he’ll need to be concerned 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 won’t be able to stay in the pocket and fight him due to his lack of power, weak chin, and tendency to avoid taking punishment.
“I feel great that the fight is going to be soon because I had a big journey in my boxing career, and now, it’s going to be final,” said Dmitry Bivol to iFL TV about there being only 2 1/2 weeks before he faced Artur Beterbiev on October 12th in Riyadh.
It might not be the final journey for Bivol if he loses to Beterbiev on October 12th because he’ll need to continue pursuing his vision to become undisputed in a rematch if there is one. If Beterbiev vacates the titles and moves up to cruiserweight, Bivol would need to collect the belts slowly, which could take years.
“Artur Beterbiev is a really good pro fighter. He knows how to fix his problems. He could be in the best shape. That’s what I have in my head. Of course, I’m not thinking about that he was injured or the fight was postponed. We agreed to this date. We’re going to fight, and he’s going to be in the best shape,” said Bivol about him expecting Beterbiev to be 100% recovered from his recent knee surgery.
The video clip of Beterbiev running in the mountains in Russia suggests that his surgically repaired knee is healthy and will be able to withstand the physical rigors of combat against Bivol.
“Of course, I respect all fighters that went into the ring with me. I just believe I can use all my skills. I need to use all of it. I have to think twice and be focused all the fight and I can win. I believe he’s the most powerful and the most stronger fighter,” said Bivol when asked if he has respect for Beterbiev.
It would be crazy if Bivol didn’t respect Beterbiev because this is by far the best guy he’ll have fought. Canelo Alvarez was at the top of his game when he fought Bivol in 2022, but he was small at 5’8″ and didn’t possess the size or the inside game that Beterbiev possesses.
It’s hard for fans to believe that Beterbiev has a better inside game than Canelo, who is known for being an excellent fighter in close. However, Beterbiev throws short punches with massive power and doesn’t need to focus on throwing hoops, which leaves him open to getting hit the way Canelo does.
“After my fight against Canelo, I was available for a rematch, but he chose a couple of other fights. Then, we realized that we needed to move forward. Now, I’ve moved forward. I have my own way. If we cross each other, I will give him a rematch. But now, I’m focused only on October 12th,” said Bivol.
The good news is that there’s still a chance that Bivol can get the rematch with Canelo, but he’s got to defeat Beterbiev to get it. Canelo wants the chance to win the undisputed light heavyweight championship to give him to gain from taking the risky fight against Bivol.
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