Bivol Signs The Contract To Fight Beterbiev For Undisputed
In some breaking news, Dmitry Bivol has reportedly signed his side of the deal for a potential undisputed fight with Artur Beterbiev.
That is according to Dan Rafael. The WBA light heavyweight champion is coming off the 11th defense of his title following his victory over Lyndon Arthur. The win put Bivol in a position to face the winner of Beterbiev vs Callum Smith. The pair will face off on January 13, 2024, for the right to fight for undisputed.
Beterbiev is the favorite with a 100 percent knockout rate with 19 wins. Should he come through, Saudi will hold another undisputed bout following the news of Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk. Bivol and Beterbiev had been linked with a fight for some time, but the WBC’s stance on banning Russian fighters from competing for its belt had prevented the fight. But now it appears that those obstacles may be overcome.
Bivol Signs
“Dmitry Bivol has reportedly now SIGNED his side of a deal to fight Artur Beterbiev next for the undisputed light-heavyweight world titles in Saudi Arabia. Beterbiev must beat Callum Smith on Jan 13th and then agree his side to finalise the fight. [According to @DanRafael1],” Mike Coppinger said
Bivol’s decision to face Arthur in Saudi was influenced by his desire to secure the Beterbiev fight. He spoke on how the Kingdom was intent on getting the fight, given their desire to stage the biggest bouts. But there is one obstacle in the way. Boxing fans know what can go wrong if fighters don’t win.
Deontay Wilder and Anthony Joshua had signed a two-fight deal. This was on the condition that both boxers won their next fight. Wilder would lose to Joseph Parker, but Joshua secured a win over Otto Wallin. That has left the fight in doubt, as Joshua’s focus is on Filip Hrgovic.
Beterbiev must avoid doing the same by coming out with a win over Smith. The latter, though, is feeling very confident. He has only been beaten once, which was against Canelo Alvarez. Since then, Smith has stopped all his opponents. And by the looks of it, he is up for the challenge.
Smith On Beterbiev
“I believe I can beat anyone on this planet. I believe I can win the belts as well. He’s (Beterbiev) European style, applies pressure but doesn’t just race forward, he’s clever how he does it and obviously he’s heavy-handed. He has been hurt, he’s been put over twice as a professional and he’s not invincible. I’ve seen other fighters hurt him and put him over, I fully believe I can,” Smith stated
Beterbiev is entering into the later stages of his career. He is 38 years old and showed in his last fight against Anthony Yarde that he could be hit numerous times. If Smith can do the same with his left hook, then the Brit will fancy his chances. But it is a tough task against a fighter who has stopped all his opponents.
‘Find all the latest boxing news and MMA breaking updates on boxingnews.com’
