Artur Beterbiev vs Dmitry Bivol set for huge TV audience after exciting broadcaster deal is announced
Artur Beterbiev versus Dmitry Bivol is a fight that puts the best against the best in the stacked light heavyweight division, and now a TV broadcaster has been announced it is set to get a huge audience.
Russian powerhouse Beterbiev (20-0, 20KO) is the only world champion with a 100% knockout ratio. Several of those victims have been Brits including Callum Smith most recently, Callum Johnson a few years ago and Anthony Yarde inbetween the two. The 39-year-old adopted Canadian is a fearsome come-forward fighter who pressures opponents with his feet and is someone that top trainer Robert Garcia thinks will come out on top when the pair meet on June 1.
Kyrgyzstan-born Russian national Bivol (22-0, 11KO) represents an all-new type of challenge however – he is a technical boxer with great footwork and control of distance whose best wins have come against pound-for-pound great Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez and Mexican Gilberto Ramirez, and many people find it a hard fight to predict.
The much-anticipated clash, set for Saudi Arabia, will have a huge undercard that puts five of the best fighters from each of the two British promotion companies Matchroom and Queensbury up against one another.
Saudi Arabian entertainment chief Turki Alalshikh has been responsible for making this fight happen and also for ensuring USA and Canada will be able to access the fight in their country for free, as revealed by promoter Bob Arum in an interview with FightHype.
“We’ve arranged with His Excellency Turki Alalshikh that the fight will be distributed on free television by ESPN in the US and Canada,” The Top Rank CEO explained.
This is a bold move that will ensure a huge number of keys will see this mouth-watering clash.
33-year-old Bivol is a master or controlling the distance and boxing off the back foot and 39-year-old Beterbiev is a fearsome puncher who likes to apply pressure up close, so the mix of styles is guaranteed to provide boxing fans with a fight of the year spectacle.
The 50-50 clash is almost impossible to predict, but BBN’s panel of experts attempted to choose a winner here: Artur Beterbiev vs Dmitry Bivol fight predictions