Dmitry Bivol feels confident now that he can stand in the pocket and fight Artur Beterbiev in their rematch in 10 days on February 22nd at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Bivol (23-1, 12 KOs) says his success when stationary in his previous fight against Beterbiev (21-0, 20 KOs) makes him believe he can do more of that. He realizes that he’s not going to win unless he can prove to the judges that he can trade with Beterbiev because the last time they fought on October 12h, he moved too much and gave away the fight.
Bivol’s New Mindset
If Bivol just moves all night, it would be a bad look for him because the judges will see that he’s fighting the same way as last time. They’re not going to give him the decision based on running. Bivol’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, still felt that he won fighting that way, but the people that matter, the judges, didn’t.
Undisputed light heavyweight champion Beterbiev will try and capitalize on Bivol showing more bravery by looking to knock him out. He hurt Bivol in the seventh round when he stood a little too long in front of him.
That’s where the fight changed hands because Beterbiev seemed to smell blood when he clipped Bivol, and he went for the finish. What was surprising was that Bivol was unwilling to fight him because he’d been courageous against other punchers in the past, like Canelo Alvarez and Lyndon Arthur. It’s possible that the shot that Beterbiev hurt Bivol with in the seventh round made him realize that he’s not equipped to take those kinds of punches.
“I think I can do it,” said Bivol to DAZN Boxing when asked if he believes he can trade with Beterbiev.
If Bivol can out-punch Beterbiev to get the victory, he’ll punch his ticket for a lucrative trilogy match, and that gives him a chance to show how much better he is. If he loses, it’s over. There won’t be a third fight, and he’ll need to fight contenders like David Morrell and Joshua Buatsi.
Last Updated on 02/12/2025
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