The epic rematch in the light heavyweight division is ready to get underway. Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol are back in Saudi Arabia to slug it out for the undisputed crown at 175 pounds just four months after their epic first meeting.
Beterbiev walked away victorious on that night in October, but the fight going the distance and having been so close on the scorecards left everybody wanting more. Now, Bivol gets the chance to avenge his lone pro defeat against the man who he successfully took to the final bell — something that no other professional fighter can claim as Beterbiev had scored 20 knockouts in 20 appearances. The two fighters are also ranked in the top five of most, if not all, pound-for-pound lists and the winner could have a claim at being the top guy with a strong showing.
“I have to do it not only last rounds, I have to do it all fight”, Bivol said. “I was thinking about generally, I have to do not just one punch more or one round more. I have to be better, I have to win each round without a doubt.”
The card was deemed the “Fight Card of the Century” by Saudi Arabia’s Turki Alalshikh and despite some fight week adjustments due to illness, it still holds up incredibly well. Heavyweight Joseph Parker is set to face a rising contender in Martin Bakole after his original opponent, IBF champion Daniel Dubois, was forced to withdraw just two days beforehand. WBC lightweight champion Shakur Stevenson is also back in action when he takes on Josh Padley, who is also a late replacement after Floyd Schofield Jr. was forced to withdraw with an illness. Plus, maybe the crown jewel of the undercard pits top junior middleweight talents against one another when Vergil Ortiz Jr. takes on Israil Madrimov.
“There’s not much to say. In my opinion, this is the best fight on the card,” Ortiz said at the final press conference. “I’m very excited to see all these fights in person. Very privileged to be here and I’m not going to let this opportunity go to waste. I’ll see you guys on Saturday.”
“Since my debut, I always chase at big fights,” Madrimov said. “I have another big fight, I will show a great fight on Saturday. I want to show my skills for boxing fans.”
Boxing predictions, best bets, odds: Dmitry Bivol and Vergil Ortiz among top picks to consider this weekend
Brent Brookhouse
The action gets underway at 10:30 a.m. ET from Riyadh on DAZN PPV. The full fight card with odds and complete viewing information is listed below.
Where to watch Beterbiev vs. Bivol 2
- Date: Feb. 22 | Location: Venue Riyadh — Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- Start time: 10:30 a.m. ET
- How to watch: DAZN PPV and PPV.com | Price: $25.99
Beterbiev vs. Bivol 2 fight card, odds
| Favorite | Underdog | Weight class |
|---|---|---|
| Artur Beterbiev (c) -130 | Dmitry Bivol +105 | Undisputed light heavyweight title |
| Joseph Parker -155 | Martin Bakole +125 | Heavyweights |
| Shakur Stevenson (c) -4000 | Josh Padley +1400 | WBC lightweight title |
| Hamzah Sheeraz -300 | Carlos Adames (c) +235 | WBC middleweight title |
| Vergil Ortiz Jr. -125 | Israil Madrimov +100 | Junior middleweights |
| Agit Kabayel -165 | Zhilei Zhang +135 | Heavyweights |
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