Sergey Kovalev picks former WBA light heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol to defeat undisputed champion Artur Beterbiev in their rematch in eight weeks (56 days) on February 22 in Riyadh.
Former 175lb unified champion Kovalev saw Bivol (23-1, 12 KOs) win his previous fight against Beterbiev (21-0, 20 KOs) seven to five rounds and sees him win the second time around. A smiling Kovalev says that if Bivol wins, the trilogy match will be set.
Beterbiev's new plan?
Beterbiev pressured Bivol, winning by majority decision in 12 rounds on October 12. The scores were 115-113, 116-112 and 114-114. Bivol fought well early on, using his boxing skills to win rounds against the unusually cautious Beterbiev.
However, the fight changed completely when Beterbiev started to apply pressure in the sixth, and it was no longer competitive. The buffalo resembled a mouse being chased by a cat in the ring, and it was obvious that he did not want to interfere with that. After the fight, Beterbiev hinted that he will fight completely differently in the rematch.
He probably thinks he's going to attack right away and not wait until the middle like he did last time. Beterbiev now knows that Bivol can't handle the pressure, that he's mentally breaking free and that he lacks the strength, beard or courage to stand in the trenches. The buffalo was not made for war. He's more of a guy who stays behind, working to support the troops.
“In the last fight, I thought Bivol won seven rounds against five. Yes, I think so. He won 7-5, and in the rematch he will be safer and win. He will win, and then there will be a third fight,” said Sergej Kovalev Fight Hub TVgiving his opinion on the Artur Beterbiev vs Dmitri Bivol rematch on February 22nd.
Bivol's possible rematch tactics
It will be very difficult for Bivol to win a rematch with his fighting style because he is not equipped to stand and fight with Beterbiev. What Bivol will likely do in the rematch to win the ugly decision are these tactics:
– Clinch when Beterbiev approaches
– Hit and run
– More movement
– Late showers
Fans on social networks overwhelmingly believe that Bivol deserved to win the first fight, and believe that he will beat Beterbiev in the rematch. Many of them believe that it will be an easy victory for Bivol, who they believe is a much better fighter than Beterbiev. There could be a lot of pro-Bivolo fans upset if he can't get the job done in return because he can't fight any better than he did last time.
The only one who can improve in the second fight is Beterbiev by applying pressure from the start and not waiting until the sixth round like last time.
