Artur Beterbiev, the powerhouse holding the IBF, WBC, and WBO light heavyweight belts, is all set to throw down with Dmitry Bivol, the WBA champ. This clash, brewing for a good while and now greenlit by Turki Alashikh, is happening in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on June 1st. It’s the tussle we’ve been craving, with Beterbiev bringing his no-nonsense, full-frontal attack against Bivol’s sharp, calculated defense. Plus, they’re scrapping for the Ring magazine light heavyweight title too.
As for the warm-up fights, the details are still hush-hush, but rumors are flying about a 5v5 showdown between Matchroom and Queensberry, keeping us guessing on the weight classes till the last minute. Sneaky, right?
Beterbiev’s record is spotless at 20-0, with every win by knockout. The guy’s a wrecking ball, steamrolling through the division and taking out heavy hitters like Oleksandr Gvozdyk and Joe Smith Jr. He’s not just muscle, though; he’s got brains too, with a gold from the 2009 World Championships and a stint in the 2012 Olympics.
On the other side, Bivol’s sitting pretty at 22-0, with 11 knockouts, slicing through opponents with precision. Since snagging the WBA title in 2017, he’s been untouchable, outsmarting tough fighters like Sullivan Barrera and Jean Pascal. His standout win over Canelo Alvarez catapulted him to the top, setting up this epic showdown.
So, grab a pint and settle in; this is one you won’t want to blink and miss. Riyadh’s in for a right old shake-up this June, and it’s a toss-up who’ll come out on top in this fight.