Artur Beterbiev will battle Dmitry Bivol in their rematch, with all the possible light heavyweight titles at stake. For the moment, the Russian is the undisputed champion, and he earned that status in the first match against Bivol.

It was a majority decision win, which was, for some, controversial, but for others, not. If you ask us, there shouldn’t have been a loser here because both fighters looked equal in our eyes. However, the judges didn’t see it that way.

Beterbiev is a favorite in this event according to the odds, though a very light one. We need to add that not all the bookies have the same odds, and the Russian isn’t the favorite in all cases. 

Beterbiev VS Bivol Preview

The Russian has 21 wins in 21 matches, only one that didn’t come via KO. It was against Bivol. Maybe the greatest knockout artist in the last decade or two has steel in his fists and looks like the guy who could easily take care of people 20 pounds heavier than him.

Beterbiev wasn’t happy with the way he boxed in the first battle, and he, too, probably knows that apart from a better finish, when he outpunched Bivol in the final two rounds, 29-19 in power punches, he wasn’t better than the Kyrgystani.

We all know how he deals with problems inside the ring—he KOs the rival. But that didn’t work out against Bivol, who was mobile and very fluid in the ring. Beterbiev couldn’t impose his own rhythm, and we might say, with a certain dose of luck, he ended this event in his favor. We say again, Bivol was better in the first six rounds.

The 32-year-old had more punches, more power punches, and a better landing percentage, but he lost. According to many, the sole reason he lost was his slow finish, unlike Beterbiev. But that’s what counts, too.

Bivol adjusted very well to everything Beterbiev threw at him. We are pretty positive that he would have found a way to neutralize his rival if the battle had lasted for a few more rounds. He constantly upgraded his approach, stance, and tactics.

Unlike Beterbiev, a Kyrgistan fighter is more of a strategist and tactician because he often ends his battles via scorecards. After all, he has a record of 23 victories and one loss, and 11 triumphs came after decisions. And don’t forget he beat Canelo pretty easily that way.

Beterbiev VS Bivol Predictions

We don’t know Beterbiev’s state. He didn’t like facing the same rival in a short period of time in the past. Also, he is 40 years old, and many wonder what his body is like. On the other hand, Bivol is in his prime, and given his age, it’s reasonable to think that he healed faster and better than his eight-year-old rival.

We won’t be too detailed here, but go straight to the bone. Our pick is Bivol, not because of the age gap but because he adjusts to rivals much faster than Beterbiev. However, he will have to improve his cardio. Some suggest that the small time distance between two fights might reduce Beterbiev’s cardio edge, but that’s an enigma for all of us.

In general, we believe that this fight will be much better for Bivol than the previous one and that the Kyrgystan fighter will win in the end, probably via decision.

 

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