Beterbiev And Bivol – Keys To Victory
Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol face off for the Undisputed Light Heavyweight Championship this weekend, leaving questions over how they will approach the fight.
The two undefeated fighters put their records on the line, with the winner becoming the best light heavyweight of this era. Beterbiev has a 100 percent knockout rate, with all his 20 wins coming inside the distance. He knocked out Callum Smith in his last fight to set up the undisputed bout and retain his WBC, WBO and IBF titles. Bivol is also undefeated, with a 23-0 record.
He is the WBA Champion, but he only has 11 knockouts to his name. He is a master of taking fights to the distance, but he did knock out Malik Zinad in his last bout within the sixth round. Both fighters have a chance of winning, making it vital that they get their game plan correct. And this is how the fight could play out.
Bivol’s Skills
Bivol is known for having excellent speed and great footwork. He has a high boxing IQ, but Beterbiev will be the best he has ever faced. His key is to prevent Beterbiev from getting the knockout by using his jab and movement to stop his opponent’s rhythm. He managed to do this expertly against Canelo Alvarez. Despite the Mexican closing the distance, his shots to the body barely had an impact. If he can make Beterbiev miss and counter him, that will give him more encouragement to keep the hard-hitting puncher off of him.
He will also have to land some big shots, just like he did against Canelo, to earn Beterbiev’s respect. Beterbiev’s previous fight against Anthony Yarde showed that. Yarde continuously hit Beterbiev with counters, but the Brit was unable to prevent the Russian from walking him down. He was eventually stopped. If Bivol can judge the distance correctly and use his height advantage, then he will have a pathway to success.
Beterbiev’s Skills
Beterbiev will also fancy his chances. He is the physically stronger of the two boxers, which is vital, as he will look to use his strength. Beterbiev must cut the ring off and prevent Bivol from boxing on the outside and landing counters at will. He did this successfully against Callum Smith, who had the reach advantage. He closed the distance and stopped Smith in another impressive performance. But Beterbiev has to get the balance right. He cannot be too reckless and must set up his shots, as Bivol is a master at countering.
One way Beterbiev could do that is to attack the body and get Bivol to lower his hands. As he does so, he could look for shots to the head. Beterbiev has faced someone similar as he boxed Oleksandr Usyk in the amateurs. He lost to Usyk twice, with one win, as Bivol could present a similar challenge. But the amateurs and the pro ranks are completely different as questions will remain over whether Beterbiev can do it over the full 12 rounds. And the fight has gotten fans talking.
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