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Dmitry Bivol will use movement and his boxing skills to test unified light heavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev’s recently healed knee in their undisputed 175-lb championship fight on October 12th.
The two champions will meet in the headliner at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Bivol has the youth, speed, and movement advantage over Beterbiev. The question is, can Bivol avoid getting caught like Beterbiev’s last 20 opponents?
Beterbiev’s Knee: A Key Factor
If Beterbiev’s knee is 100%, Bivol will have problems in this fight because even if he moves nonstop, Artur will trap him and force him into firefights. Bivol lacks the chin for that kind of battle.
Bivol will try to outsmart Beterbiev, frustrate him with movement, and not be in punching range for him to land his short power punches. We might see a lot of holding by Bivol to keep Beterbiev from throwing whenever he gets close. That would be boring for the fans, but Bivol has no choice.
In WBA light heavyweight champion Bivol’s recent fights against Lyndon Arthur, Malik Zinad, and Gilberto Ramirez, he used movement to evade the punches from these fighters.
He got the better of them by darting forward to land quick 1-2 shots and then retreating to avoid return fire. This is the path that Bivol will surely take against Beterbiev, who is too dangerous for him to risk brawling with.
Bivol’s Strategy: Outsmart, Frustrate, and Evade
Bivol knows that he cannot afford to stay in the pocket against a puncher like Beterbiev because he’s not on the same level as him on the inside and lacks the chin for that type of fight.
WBA light heavyweight champion Bivol (23-0, 12 KOs) cannot afford to get involved in risky exchanges with IBF/WBC/WBO champ Beterbiev (20-0, 20 KOs) without getting hurt. So, Bivol, 33, will likely be using the ring to force Beterbiev to move around, testing his knee by making him chase.
Bivol has no choice but to stay on the move for three minutes of every round and not get brave against Beterbiev. This isn’t Canelo Alvarez or an inexperienced Malik Zinad that Bivol fights on October 12th.
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