Dmitry Bivol cautious of ‘dangerous’ Artur Beterbiev: ‘You have to prepare not to get punched’

Dmitry Bivol doesn’t believe the aging and oft-injured Artur Beterbiev has lost a step. 

Bivol (23-0, 12 KOs) will finally find out Saturday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia when he faces Beterbiev (20-0, 20 KOs) for the undisputed light heavyweight title.

“I feel amazing before the most important fight of my life,” Bivol told BoxingScene. “Just look at his record to see why he’s a really dangerous fighter. It’s proven that he’s one of the most dangerous opponents. He has the skills. He’s not only just a good puncher. He’s a really good and smart fighter. He has experience and a boxing IQ. He has three belts for a reason. For his age, he has really good conditioning. I just need to be myself and improve on my skills. You can’t prepare to get punched, you have to prepare not to get punched.”

Bivol, 33, and Beterbiev, 39, were originally supposed to fight on June 1 but the fight was postponed after Beterbiev suffered a ruptured meniscus in training, adding to a long list of injuries he’s sustained in recent years. 

“I will try to do all of my best,” said Bivol. “If I can try to finish the fight, of course I will use the opportunity. In my head, I am always thinking about how to win this fight and how to make everything perfect. I am not thinking about the knockout, to be honest.”

To prepare for the fight, instead of training in Indio, California, his usual locale, Bivol trained in the mountains of Kyrgyzstan for three weeks and 45 days in Turkey, and two weeks before the fight relocated to Riyadh. 

“My body is a little bit different than when I was preparing for Canelo Alvarez two years ago,” said Bivol. “My conditioning coach can see and is giving me new and different exercises. At the same time though, it’s a similar program.”

Should Bivol beat Beterbiev, WBC mandatory challenger David Benavidez awaits a crack at his crown. Bivol could also be inclined to move up to cruiserweight to challenge titleholder Jai Opetaia, who is set to fight on his undercard against Jack Massey. Bivol could also attract Alvarez for their long-anticipated rematch. 

“To be honest, I don’t have any plans as to who I will fight next,” said Bivol. “I don’t know if the rematch would be worse for Canelo. I’m not thinking about Canelo. I waited a year and a half and it was only talk and no action or negotiations. It’s a closed subject. I’m busy with Beterbiev. We’ll see what happens after.” 

Bivol added that beating Beterbiev would be a more significant career accomplishment than his star-making unanimous decision win against Alvarez. 

“Both are important, but with the belts, of course, the Beterbiev win would be more important and meaningful for my soul than Canelo,” said Bivol. “It means a lot to me. For me, Canelo was a step to have huge fights in my career. It was a great opportunity for me to show the world that I am a good boxer and for them to pay attention to me. I proved that I was good and champion-worthy. 

Manouk Akopyan is a sports journalist, writer and broadcast reporter whose work has appeared on ESPN, Fox Sports, USA Today, The Guardian, Newsweek, Men’s Health, NFL.com, Los Angeles Times, Philadelphia Inquirer, Ring Magazine and more. He has been writing for BoxingScene since 2018. Manouk is a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America and the MMA Journalists Association. He can be reached on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube, through email at manouk[dot]akopyan[at]gmail.com or via www.ManoukAkopyan.com.