Blair Cobbs sees WBA light heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol in a near-unwinnable position going up against IBF, WBC, and WBO champ Artur Beterbiev in their undisputed championship on October 12th in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Beterbiev’s Power and Pressure
Cobbs feels that the short, powerful arm punches and the nonstop attacking style that Beterbiev (20-0, 20 KOs) utilizes will make it tough on Bivol.
The bouncing around movement that Bivol employs to win his fights will put him in harm’s way against Beterbiev and will eat a lot of hard punches. Bivol looked uncomfortable with the power shots that little-known fringe contender Malik Zinad hit him with last June in Riyadh.
Beterbiev has looked unbelievable lately, knocking out Callum Smith, Anthony Yarde, Joe Smith, and Marcus Browne. He went after those fights, not allowing them to move around the ring to box him the way they wanted to.
“Artur Beterbiev has unbelievable strength and power. I don’t know how Bivol is going to be able to fight somebody like that,” said Blair Cobbs to Pro Boxing Fans about the Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol undisputed light heavyweight championship on October 12th.
Bivol’s Style: Set in Stone & Vulnerable
The 33-year-old Bivol’s fighting style is set in stone at this stage of his ten-year career, involving these elements:
– In and out attacks
– Combinations
– Movement
– Jabs
– Clinching
“That back and forth, bouncing up and down and that moving that he uses, I don’t know if that works against somebody that throws a lot of powerful arm punches, said Blair. “He doesn’t have to have a rhythm to whip your backside.”
Beterbiev’s Arm Punches
Beterbiev’s arm punching and his ability to produce tremendous power on his shots make him so dangerous because his opponents can’t escape by holding as they would against another fighter.
“I don’t see Bivol being able to survive something like that, but it will be very interesting. Bivol could land too many punches on Beterbiev, mess around, and start piling on points. That’s going to be a very exciting fight. It’s going to be worth looking at. I can’t wait to see that one,” said Blair.
🥊 Overnight, Artur Beterbiev stopped Callum Smith in the 7th-round after two knockdowns.
😮💨 Beterbiev-Bivol MUST be next.pic.twitter.com/hzbAhG6rPG
— EverythingBoxing (@EverythingBoxi2) January 14, 2024
