June 1: Artur Beterbiev-Dmitry Bivol Undisputed Light Heavyweight World Title Showdown to Stream LIVE on ESPN+ in the U.S. – Beterbiev-Bivol will be a special one-fight broadcast from Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Soon, the light heavyweight division will crown an undisputed king in the grand stage of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. WBO/WBC/IBF unified champion Artur Beterbiev is set to clash with WBA champion Dmitry Bivol on Saturday, June 1, at Kingdom Arena. The winner will be the division’s first undisputed champion since Roy Jones Jr. in 1999.
This clash of the 175-pound giants will be streamed live and exclusively as a special one-fight event on ESPN+ in the U.S.
The fight will receive promotional backing from Top Rank, Queensberry Promotions, Matchroom Boxing, World of Boxing Promotions, and Sela.
“Imagine this: a dream fight between two of the light heavyweight elite, right in the stunning city of Riyadh. Thanks to His Excellency Turki Alalshikh’s vision, fight fans are in for a treat,” commented Bob Arum, Chairman of Top Rank.
Beterbiev, known for his ferocity and perfect knockout streak (20-0, 20 KOs), has dismantled every challenge since turning pro in 2013. His journey is marked by explosive victories, including a 10th-round TKO over Oleksandr Gvozdyk in 2019 to secure the WBC title and a recent conquest of former super middleweight champ Callum Smith in Quebec.
Bivol (22-0, 11 KOs), a seasoned pro and relentless title defender, has dominated the division with precision and skill. His significant triumphs include outclassing legends like Canelo Alvarez and shutting out strong contenders such as Lyndon Arthur, proving his top-contender status in the global ring.
At today’s media event held at the Outernet in London, the lineup for a pioneering 5 vs 5 boxing fight was announced, featuring top heavyweights.
Daniel Dubois, the formidable UK fighter with a record of 20 wins (19 KOs), will represent Queensberry against Filip Hrgovic from Matchroom. Hrgovic holds an undefeated record and the IBF No.1 contender spot. This clash aims to establish the next challenger for the IBF World Heavyweight title.
Alongside, the heavyweight bout will see Zhilei Zhang (26-2-1, 21 KOs) of Queensberry against Matchroom’s Deontay Wilder (43-3-1, 42 KOs), a former WBC world heavyweight champion known for his powerful knockout ability.
In the featherweight division, Queensberry’s Nick Ball and Matchroom’s reigning WBA World Featherweight champion Ray Ford will battle it out in what could be a significant fight of the year.
The middleweight fight features Hamzah Sheeraz from Queensberry going head-to-head with Matchroom’s Austin Williams. Both fighters are undefeated, and this fight is recognized as a Final Eliminator for the WBC World Middleweight title.
Lastly, in the light heavyweight class, Willy Hutchinson of Queensberry will fight Craig Richards of Matchroom. Hutchinson, a former World Amateur champion and WBC International champion, is set to face Richards, a former British champion and WBA world title challenger.
Updated Fight Card:
- Heavyweight: Daniel Dubois vs. Filip Hrgovic
- Heavyweight: Zhilei Zhang vs. Deontay Wilder
- Featherweight: Nick Ball vs. Ray Ford
- Middleweight: Hamzah Sheeraz vs. Austin Williams
- Light Heavyweight: Willy Hutchinson vs. Craig Richards