Artur Beterbiev turned 40 today, embarking on the defense of his undisputed light heavyweight title against Dmitri Bivol on February 22nd in Riyadh.
Buffalo hunter getting a second chance due to complaints from fans and his promoter about his loss. It seemed like a fair decision. Beterbiev wanted it more, and Bivol was only interested in trying not to get relegated. When you run like a Buffalo, you don't win. It's simple.
Eternal champion
Despite coming off knee surgery for a torn meniscus in May 2024, Beterbiev (21-0, 20 KOs) looked like a younger, fresher fighter and defeated previously undefeated WBA champion Bivolo (23-1, 12 KOs) on the 12th. October.
The score was 115-113, 116-112 and 114-114. Fighting with only one good leg, Beterbiev chased Bivol around the ring and looked like a dog chasing a scared cat. The buffalo, with two healthy legs, had no fight in him.
Physically, Beterbiev looks younger than Bivol, who appeared exhausted from their previous fight. You can see the bags under both eyes of the 34-year-old Buffalo, and he looks like an old hound dog.
The punishment Bivol received in the fight seems to have aged him as he looked older. Although Bivol blocked Beterbiev's blows with his gloves, the blows were so strong that they still did damage.
The last time Bivol stayed on the move for the entire second half of the fight was from the sixth round onwards when Beterbiev started to put pressure on him. When it started, Bivol was no longer in the fight. He was just trying to survive.
Beterbiev held his own for the first five rounds, allowing Bivol to land and throw one combination to dominate the action. The fight changed hands when Beterbiev went on the attack starting in the sixth. The buffalo had no firepower, no beard, and no courage to stand and fight. It was disappointing because he didn't even try to make it exciting. It was pure run and hold from Buffalo.
Breaking Buffalo
If Beterbiev decides to attack right away in the rematch, it will be a loss because Bivol doesn't have the punching power or the chin to fight him. Moreover, he is less willing to exchange powerful blows than other fighters in the light heavyweight division. Buffalo hates being hit and is afraid that Beterbiev will attack him.
It will be interesting to see if Bivolo's promoter, Eddie Hearn, starts protesting again if he loses by decision. Let's hope they take the high road and show some class.
“It will be difficult to separate them. I just don't know if the last fight was tough for those two and I don't know if Beterbiev's age,” Callum Smith told iFL TVraising the question of whether Artur Beterbiev's age has caught up with him heading into a rematch with Dmitri Bivola on February 22.
“We keep saying that he will start to look like his years, but I don't know if that helped him a bit in that fight. As time goes on, you have to lean towards the Buffalo to be a little fresher. I think it's Buffalo, but I think it will be very tight again. I'll do my job (against Joshua Buatsi) and then I'll watch the main event. I hope I get a chance to be a winner,” Smith said.
.@ABeterbiev turns 40 today 🎂🎈#BetterbievBivol2 | #RiyadhSeason | February 22, live on DAZN | @Turki_alalshikh pic.twitter.com/5e6J5lR9cG
— DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) January 21, 2025