Artur Beterbiev vs Dmitry Bivol: Previewing the undisputed title fight

The heavyweight division has unsurprisingly dominated the boxing headlines in 2024 as there is huge anticipation surrounding the unprecedented five-title fight between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk.

However, there is another undisputed title fight set to take place in the first half of the year. Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol will finally meet in the ring after years of demand for the light heavyweight giants to face off.

Beterbiev will put his WBC, IBF and WBO world titles on the line and Bivol will risk his WBA title which he has held since 2016 through withstanding 11 title defences.

Beterbiev is the slight favourite

The upcoming fight is a tough one to predict with two contrasting styles set to meet in the ring, however, there is a slight favourite.

Many of the major betting sites offer very small margins between the odds offered for the pair. A bet with William Hill for example would allow fans to back Beterbiev at 5/6 which means he is fractionally favoured over Bivol at EVENS.

William Hill offers a variety of payment and withdrawal methods to suit all types of people who believe they can predict the big headlines in this year of boxing.

20-0-0 (20 KO) pic.twitter.com/iA7OGu0dKa

— Artur Beterbiev (@ABeterbiev) January 14, 2024

Both fighters have impressive unbeaten records and Beterbiev's advantage may simply be his superior raw punching power. He is known for his relentless heavy-hitting having won via knockout in all of his professional fights so far.

The Canadian has 20 wins under his belt since going professional back in 2013 compared to Bivol's 22 victories which include a famous win against Saul Alvarez in 2022.

Based on reputation either fighter is not prone to much criticism as they have put up an array of exceptional career performances so far. However, one of the light heavyweights' perfect records will be tarnished this June - unless the unlikely outcome of a draw occurs.

How the pair's styles match up

While career records can help when judging a new matchup in the ring, it is also helpful to compare fighters stylistically.

Beterbiev of course has proven knockout power although in terms of speed and agility, he is lacking compared to Bivol. He tends to allow his opponents to dictate the movement of his fights and gradually picks them off with a decisive strike.

The three-belt holder even sometimes puts his guard down and allows a free hit as it can create the opportunity for him to deal an emphatic blow in response.

Artur Beterbiev vs Dmitry Bivol is CONFIRMED for June 1st

via Turki Alalshikh with Ariel Helwani

SHEEEESH. pic.twitter.com/UPhyTPAq9O

— Spinnin Backfist (@SpinninBackfist) February 3, 2024

Bivol meanwhile is extremely quick and responsive in the ring which means he can effectively avoid being hit and is versatile in his striking.

The Russian's advantage in movement will be crucial to controlling Beterbiev's momentum as once he begins to land clean shots it is simply a matter of time before he puts an end to the contest.

His greatest chance of beating Beterbiev is to be the first man to last the entire occasion without a forced stoppage against him. To do this he will have to avoid engaging with an all-out battle throughout, and simply look to frustrate and tire his opponent.

Ultimately, it is tough to look beyond Beterbiev extending his remarkable record with another knockout against Bivol. However, he will face his biggest test yet against an unbelievable athlete in Bivol, who will test his ability to control the space like never before.