On Saturday night in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (ESPN, 5:30 p.m. ET), Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol will meet in a rare matchup between two of the best fighters in the division to crown the first light heavyweight undisputed champion in a four-belt era.
Beterbiev (20-0, 20), the WBC, WBO and IBF title holder, is boxing’s only champion with a 100% knockout ratio. He is the 175-pound champion since 2017.
The fight has been going on for years. The division hasn’t had an undisputed champion since Roy Jones Jr. vacated one of his titles in 2000 (three belt era).
“I want a good fight. I’m preparing for a good fight,” Beterbiev said during a news conference Thursday. “We’ll see. … Be ready, Dimitri. I’m ready.”
Bivol (23-0, 12 KOs), the WBA champion, was promoted from the interim roster to full titleholder in 2017 and has made 12 defenses of the belt.
Beterbiev and Bivol were scheduled to fight on June 1, but a month before the bout, Beterbiev suffered a ruptured meniscus and underwent knee surgery, forcing the postponement. Bivol wanted to keep busy and fought Malik Zeenat on that date, a sixth-round TKO victory, his only stoppage victory in his last 10 fights.
“Arthur is a great champion,” Bivol said. “He has what I want. He has the belts. It’s not just about the belts. Looking at his skills, I want to test my skills against this amazing fighter.”
Stay tuned for fight results and round analysis.
